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UNIFORM   VOLUMES 

Little    Pilgrimages     Among 

English    Inns 

By  Josephine  Tozier 

Little     Pilgrimages     Among 

French  Inns 

By  Charles  Gibson 

Little     Pilgrimages    Among 

Bavarian  Inns 

By  Frank  Roy  Fraprie 

Little     Pilgrimages    Among 

Old   New   England   Inns 
By  Mary  Caroline  Crawford 

The  Fair  Land  Tyrol 
By  W.  D.  McCrackan 

Among  Italian  Lakes 
By  W.  D.  McCrackan 

Each,  I  vol.,  library  i2mo,  cloth,  gilt 
top,  profusely  illustrated,  1^2 .00 


L.  C.  Page  ca.  Company 

New  England  Building 
Boston,  Mass. 


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A  CORNER  OF  THE  TAP  -  ROOM  OF  THE  WADSWORTH  INN, 
HARTFORD 


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LITTLE     PILGRIMAGES 

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OldmwenglandTnns 

BEING   AN   ACCOUNT   OF    LITTLE 
JOURNEYS    TO    VARIOUS    gUAINT 
INNS    AND    HOSTELRIES    OF 
COLONIAL    NEW    ENGLAND 

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BY 

flDan?  Caroline  Crawford 

Author  of  "The  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Roof- 
trees,"  "  The  College  Girl  of  America,"  etc. 

ILLUSTRATED 

BOSTON       ,       , ' ,       ,       , 

%.  C.  paoe   &  dompan? 

»     ♦     *     ♦       PUBLISHERS 

^ 

^^^^^^^^ 

^ 

Copyright,  iqoj 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 
All  rights  reserved 


First  impression,  October,  1907 

Second  Impression,  December,  1907. 

Third  Impression,  November,  1908 


COLONIAL    PRESS 

EUciroiyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Sintonds  &*  Co. 

Boston,  U.S.A. 


"  2[  'LL  view  the  manners  of  the  town, 

^      Peruse  the  traders,  gaze  upon  the  buildings 
And  then  return,  and  sleep  within  mine  inn." 

Comedy  of  Errors. 

"  ^r  HERE  is  no  private  house  in  which  people  can  en- 
VJ/  joy  themselves  so  well  as  at  a  capital  tavern.  .  .  . 
At  a  tavern  there  is  general  freedom  from  anxiety;  you  are 
sure  you  are  welcome  .  .  .  and  the  more  trouble  you  give, 
the  more  good  things  you  call  for,  the  welcomer  you  are. 
.  .  .  No,  sir,  there  is  nothing  which  has  yet  been  contrived 
by  man  by  which  so  much  happiness  is  produced  as  by 
a  good  tavern  or  inn." 

Dr.  Johnson. 

"  ST HE  gods  who  are  most  interested  in  the  human 
VJ^  race  preside  over  the  tavern.  .  .  .  The  tavern  will 
compare  favorably  with  the  church.  The  church  is  the 
place  where  prayers  and  sermons  are  delivered,  but  the 
tavern  is  where  they  are  to  take  effect,  and  if  the  former 
are  good  the  latter  cannot  be  bad." 

Thoreau. 

"  3^HOE'ER  has  travellM  life's  dull  round 
^^      Where'er  his  stages  may  have  been, 
May  sigh  to  think  he  still  has  found 
The  warmest  welcome  at  an  inn." 

Shenstone. 
Written  on  a  Window  of  an  Inn, 


^50004*^ 


FOREWORD 

A  BOOK  on  Old  New  England  Inns  needs 
no  elaborate  justification.  Few  of  us  are  so 
dull  of  soul  that  our  pulses  are  not  quickened 
and  our  imaginations  stirred  as  we  pass,  at  a 
country  four-corners,  a  deserted  house  and 
rambling  barn  of  unmistakable  tavern  de- 
scent. There  it  stands,  in  its  sombre  and  often 
disreputable  coat  of  weather-stained  shingles, 
mournful  reminder  of  a  fragrant  time  that  is 
now  no  more,  mute  witness  to  the  truth  of  the 
familiar  plaint  that  bygone  days  were  — 
what  these  are  not.  Always  one  is  eager  to 
know  the  story  of  such  a  house  and  to  re- 
people  its  empty  rooms,  in  fancy  at  least, 
with  those  who  once  made  merry  there.  Be- 
cause I  have  so  often  shared  that  wish  I  am 
happy  to  offer  here  some  slight  additions  to 
available  truth  and  tradition  concerning  these 
relics  of  the  past,  acknowledging,  as  I  do  so, 
deep  indebtedness  to  Mrs.  Alice  Morse 
Earle's  "  Stage  Coach  and  Tavern  Days " 
and  to  Mr.  Edward  Field's  suggestive  book 

vii 


Foreword 

on  "The  Colonial  Tavern."  Town  histories 
too  numerous  to  name,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Ward's  ''Old  Times  in  Shrewsbury,"  Rev. 
T.  Frank  Waters's  Ipswich  volume.  Currier's 
"  Ould  Newbury,"  the  valuable  files  of  the 
'New  England  Magazine  and  the  carefully 
compiled  works  of  the  late  Samuel  Adams 
Drake  have  also  been  frequently  consulted. 

But  especially  do  I  feel  very  deep  and 
real  gratitude  to  the  many  friends  all  over 
New  England  who  have  contributed,  by 
their  interest  and  kindliness,  to  the  material 
for  this  book;  and,  in  particular,  I  wish  to 
thank  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society, 
through  whose  courtesy  half  a  dozen  of  the 
plates  published  in  Field's  "  Rhode  Island 
at  the  End  of  the  Century "  are  here 
reproduced. 

M.  C.  C. 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  August^  ^9^7* 


••• 
VIU 


CONTENTS 


I.     When  the  Inn  Was  a  Puritan  Ordi- 
nary        

11.     Madam    Knight  :      Traveller    and 
Tavern  -  keeper     . 

III.  The   Father  of  the  Turnpike  and 

Some   Related  Taverns 

IV.  Gubernatorial  and  Other   Tavern 

Junkets  .... 

V.  The  Inns  of    Old  Boston 
VI.     Some   Revolutionary  Taverns  . 

VII.  Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns  in  Which 

History  Was  Made 

VIII.  The    Taverns    That    Entertained 

Washington  .... 
IX.     The  Wayside  Inn     . 


X.     Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast     208 


XI.  Tavern  Signs  —  and  Wonders  . 

XII.  Old  Tavern   Days  in  Newbury 

XIII.  The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

XIV.  Some     Portsmouth     Publicans     and 

Their  Famous  Guests   . 

XV.  On  the  Road    .... 

XVI.  Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

XVII.  When  Lafayette  Came  Back 


21 

36 

54 

73 
104 

121 

148 
191 


228 
241 

274 

292 

3" 
334 
351 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Am- 


A  Corner  of  the  Tap  -  room  of  the  Wads- 
worth  Inn,  Hartford     .        .        .       Frontispiece 

Roger  Mowry  Tavern,  Providence 

Old  Ordinary  at  Duxbury. 

Kimball  Tavern,  Bradford 

Bull  Dog  Tavern,  Providence  . 

Pease  Tavern,  Shrewsbury 

Conkey's  Tavern,  Pelham    . 

Upton  Tavern,  Fitchburg    . 

BoLTwooD*s    Tavern    (afterwards    the 
HERST  House),  Amherst 

DwiGHT  House,  Brookfield. —  Frary  House, 
Deerfield  .... 

Liberty  Tree  Tavern,  Boston     . 

The  Green  Dragon,  Boston 

Hancock  Tavern,  Boston     . 

Golden  Ball  Tavern,  Weston  . 

Wright  Tavern,   Concord.  —  Cooper's  Tav- 
ern, Arlington  

Arnold's    Tavern,    Weymouth. —  Sawtell's 

Tavern,  Shirley 114 

Knapp    Tavern,   Greenwich.  —  Interior    of 

Knapp   Tavern    (now   Putnam   Cottage)     120 

Sabin  Tavern,  Providence 122 

David  Arnold    Tavern,  Warwick.  —  Peleg 

Arnold  Tavern,  near  Woonsocket         .     139 


6 
II 

24 
28 

37 

43 

45 

53 

62 

84 

96 

102 

104 

112 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGB 


Eleazer  Arnold  Tavern,  near  Quinsnicket, 
Lincoln. —  Greenville  Tavern,  Smith- 
field    142 

Ye  Olde  Tavern,  West  Brookfield  ,  .  .158 
Williams  Tavern,  Marlborough        .      .       .160 

Abbott  Tavern,  Andover 182 

Wayside  Inn,  Sudbury  .       .       .       .       .       .192 

Tap -ROOM,  Wayside  Inn,  Sudbury  .       .       .197 
Winn  House,  Woburn.  —  Paxton  Inn,  Paxton     209 
Ellery    Tavern,    Gloucester.  —  Brigham's 
Tavern  (now^  the  Westborough  Hotel), 

Westborough 224 

Sign  of  the  Hancock  Tavern,  Boston  .       .     229 
Sign  of  the  Benjamin  Wiggin  Tavern,  Hop- 
KiNTON.  —  Sign  of  the  Wolfe  Tavern, 

Newburyport 236 

Sign  of  Boltwood's  Tavern,  Amherst   .       .     239 

Coffin  House,  Newbury 243 

Wolfe  Tavern,  Newburyport  .  .  .  .252 
Notice   of   Prince    Stetson    Regarding   His 

Taking  Charge  of  the  Wolfe  Tavern  .     259 
Home  of  Mrs.  Harriett  Prescott  Spofford, 
Newburyport.  —  Boynton     Tavern,     on 
THE  Newburyport  Road       .       .       .       .272 
Whipple     House,     Ipswich.  —  Caleb     Lord 

House,  Ipswich 285 

Ross  Tavern,  Ipswich 291 

The  Earl  of  Halifax  (Stayers  Inn),  Ports- 
mouth   296 

Rice  Tavern,  Kittery,  opposite  Portsmouth  300 
PuRCELL  House,  Portsmouth  ....  306 
Old    Concord    Coach.  — Wadsworth    Inn, 

Hartford 312 

Groton  Inn,  Groton 328 

Eagle  Tavern,  East  Poultney  .       .       .       .     331 

xii 


List  of  Illustrations 


Fowler  Tavern,  Westfield 
Berry  Tavern,  Danvers 
Golden  Ball  Tavern,  Providence 
WiGGiN  Tavern,  Hopkinton  . 
Jameson    Tavern,  Freeport 
Shepard  Inn,  Bath 


PAGB 

334 
342 
355 

366 
368 
370 


xia 


Little  Pilgrimages  Among 
Old  New  En^and  Inns 

CHAPTER  I 

WHEN   THE  INN  WAS  A   PURITAN   ORDINARY 

"  In  the  brave  days  of  old,"  as  writers  of 
historical  novels  are  fond  of  calling  our  colo- 
nial period,  every  department  of  public  life 
was  bound  up  with  the  church.  To  this  rule 
the  "  ordinary  "  or  inn  of  the  time  presented 
no  exception.  Odd  as  it  seems  to  us  public 
houses  were  licensed  for  the  express  purpose 
of  promoting  the  worship  of  God!  Usually 
the  ordinary  was  right  next  door  to  the  meet- 
ing-house; often  such  proximity  was  indeed 
the  single  condition  upon  which  permits  to 
sell  "  beare  "  were  granted.  Thus  we  find 
the  records  of  1651  granting  John  Vyall  of 
Boston  "  Libertie  to  keep  a  house  of  Com- 
mon entertainment  if  the  Countie  Court  Con- 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

sent,  provided  he  keepe  it  near  the  new 
meeting  house/'  The  contrast  to  the  present 
laws  which  prohibit  the  sale  of  liquor  within 
a  certain  distance  of  any  church  is  striking. 
Yet  there  was  just  as  good  a  reason  that 
the  ordinary  of  the  seventeenth  century 
should  be  near  the  place  of  public  worship 
as  that  the  "  hotel "  of  the  twentieth  century 
should  be  well  removed  therefrom.  Physical 
as  well  as  mental  discomfort  attended  the 
church-going  of  that  far-off  time.  A  fire 
was  never  kindled  in  the  colonial  meeting- 
house and  it  was  almost  necessary  to  contin- 
ued existence  that  the  good  people  who  had 
come  from  miles  away  to  worship  the  Lord 
should  find  a  cheerful  place  in  which  to 
thaw  out  between  the  cold  drive  and  the 
chilly  service.  Naturally  the  ordinary  came 
in  for  a  reciprocal  benefit  during  the  noon 
rest  for  refreshment.  It  then  had  opportunity 
to  sell  many  a  mug  of  the  potent  flip,  invalu- 
able for  raising  spirits  which  had  been 
depressed  by  dreary  discourses  on  Hell. 
Occasionally,  indeed,  pious  folk  were  made 
so  comfortable  in  the  tap-room  at  noon  that 
they  were  incapacitated  for  attendance  at  the 
afternoon  service,  thus  bringing  scandal  upon 
the  inn-keeper  concerned. 


When  the  Inn  JVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

So  close  was  the  relationship  between  the 
tavern  and  the  church  in  Puritan  days  that 
religious  services  were  not  infrequently  held 
in  an  inn  pending  the  erection  of  a  suitable 
meeting-house.  Such  was  the  case  in  Fitch- 
burg,  Massachusetts,  and  in  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  where  Roger  Williams 
preached  for  many  years. 

No  tavern  with  which  we  shall  have  to  do 
is  richer  in  traditions  than  this  first  hostelry 
ever  established  in  the  Providence  settlement. 
Before  its  destruction  about  eight  years  ago, 
it  was  not  only  the  oldest  house  in  that  city 
but  it  was  long  distinguished,  among  other 
things,  as  being  the  only  one  in  the  north  end 
of  the  town  that  escaped  when  Providence 
was  burned  during  King  Philip's  War. 
Goodman  Mowry,  who  came  to  Rhode  Island 
from  Salem,  was  licensed  in  May  1655  to 
keep  a  house  of  entertainment,  and  was 
directed  to  "  sett  out  a  convenient  signe  at  ye 
most  perspicuous  place  of  ye  saide  house 
thereby  to  give  notice  to  strangers  that  it  is 
a  house  of  entertainment."  From  this  time 
on  Mowry's  house  was  a  prominent  feature 
of  the  town's  life.  In  many  ways  its  uses 
were  typical  of  hundreds  of  other  ordinaries. 
Here  the  people  of  the  settlement  assembled 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

and  discussed  the  news;  here  the  town  coun- 
cil held  its  meetings,  and  here  was  enacted 
several  thrilling  scenes  of  one  of  those  ter- 
rible tragedies  which  now  and  then  darken 
the  pages  of  early  New  England  history. 

Among  the  young  men  helped  by  the  noble 
Roger  Williams  during  his  life  in  Provi- 
dence was  a  young  Dutch  lad  named  John 
Clauson,  whom  he  had  one  day  come  across 
in  a  half-naked  and  starving  condition  and 
taken  to  his  own  home  for  food  and  shelter. 
No  friends  or  family  turning  up  to  claim  the 
youth,  Williams  brought  him  up  in  his  own 
household,  whence,  having  grown  to  man's 
estate,  he  went  forth  to  serve  his  townsmen 
as  a  carpenter.  Ere  long  he  had  so  prospered 
that  he  acquired  a  tract  of  land  and  built 
himself  a  good  house. 

Then,  one  winter  morning  in  1660  Clauson 
was  found  in  a  dying  condition  near  a  clump 
of  barberry  bushes  which  grew  at  the  road- 
side a  stone's  throw  from  Mowry's  tavern. 
His  head  had  been  cut  as  with  a  broadaxe, 
and  though  he  was  tenderly  cared  for  at 
Williams'  home  near-by,  to  which  he  was 
immediately  carried,  he  soon  died,  in  the 
presence  of  a  little  group  of  friends,  includ- 
ing Williams.     But  he  did  not  pass  away, 

4 


IVhen  the  Inn  JVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

difficult  as  it  was  for  him  to  speak,  without 
first  accusing  a  neighbour,  John  Hernton,  of 
being  the  instigator  of  his  murder  and  calling 
down  upon  this  man,  his  children  and  his 
children's  children  the  curse  of  being 
"  marked  with  split  chins  and  haunted  by 
barberry  bushes." 

The  horror  of  the  scene  can  be  imagined 
when  it  is  added  that,  among  the  first  to 
reach  the  side  of  the  wounded  youth  after 
he  had  been  carried  to  the  home  of  his  child- 
hood, were  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
very  man  he  now  accused  of  his  death.  They 
had  been  administering  "  sack  and  sugar 
whilst  he  lay  wounded"  says  the  record! 

Great  excitement  prevailed  about  the  town 
when  the  news  of  Clauson's  curse  got  abroad 
but,  before  long,  the  deed  was  fastened  upon 
one  Waumanitt,  an  Indian,  and  he  was 
apprehended  and  taken  to  Mowry's  tavern 
where  he  was  locked  up  and  securely 
guarded.  In  spite  of  the  accusation  of  the 
dying  man,  John  Hernton  was  not  con- 
demned by  his  townspeople,  though  the  tradi- 
tion that  he  inspired  the  deed  probably  died 
hard. 

The  records  are  chiefly  concerned  with 
the  expenses  attending  the  trial  of  the  Indian. 

5 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

As  Clauson  had  no  kindred,  the  town  treas- 
urer was  directed  to  pay  the  charges  for  the 
prosecution  from  the  sale  of  the  property  of 
the  dead  Dutchman.  We  find  a  bill  rendered 
by  Henry  Fowler,  the  town  blacksmith,  "  for 
irons "  to  bind  the  murderer.  (This  was  the 
first  murder  in  the  settlement  and  none  of 
the  paraphernalia  of  punishment  was  at 
hand.)  A  guard  of  nine  men,  including  "  the 
man  at  Moories,"  charged  three  shillings  a 
night  to  watch  the  prisoner;  and  Stephen 
Northup,  the  town  constable,  was  paid  three 
shillings  for  "  warning  the  town  about  the 
prisoner."  Landlord  Mowry  rendered  a  bill 
of  four  shillings  "  for  houseroom  for  the 
prisoner,"  and  at  the  preliminary  hearing 
Roger  Williams  and  Valentine  Whitman, 
who  could  speak  the  Indian  tongue,  earned 
twelve  shillings   as  interpreters. 

A  Puritan  ordinary,  which  was  sometimes 
used  as  a  church,  was  held,  however,  to  be 
no  proper  place  in  which  to  confine  a  redskin 
murderer,  and  it  was  accordingly  determined 
"  that  the  prisoner  Waumanitt  shall  be  sent 
down  unto  Newport  to  the  Collony  prison 
There  to  be  kept  until  his  tyme  of  Triall." 
So,  in  a  boat  with  two  of  the  townsmen,  who 
had  been  provided,  —  still  at  the  dead  man's 

6 


IVhen  the  Inn  IVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

expense,  —  with  "  i  pint  of  liquor,  and  pow- 
der and  shott  to  carry  along  with  ye  pris- 
oner "  the  slayer  of  Clauson  passes  from 
further  connection  with   the  tavern. 

Not  only  was  a  tavern  sometimes  used  as 
a  meeting-house,  as  was  the  case  with 
Mowry's,  but  a  meeting-house  was  occasion- 
ally turned  into  a  tavern.  So  it  happened 
at  Little  Compton,  Rhode  Island,  where,  to 
put  an  end  to  the  struggle  between  opposing 
factions,  the  place  which  had  served  for  the 
worship  of  God  became  a  house  of  entertain- 
ment for  travellers.  Our  ancestors  had  no 
reverence  for  a  meeting-house  save  as  such, 
and  the  interchangeable  character  of  these 
two  public  institutions,  the  church  and  the 
tavern,  gave  them  no  shock.  The  Great 
House  at  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  which 
was  the  official  residence  of  Governor  Win- 
throp,  was  in  1663  made  a  meeting-house, 
and  later  became  quite  easily  the  Three 
Cranes,  a  public  house  kept  for  many  years 
by  Robert  Leary  and  his  descendants.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  under  the  very  roof 
which  afterwards  sheltered  a  tavern  tap-room 
Governor  Winthrop  thought  out  the  first 
of  all  New  England  temperance  pledges, 
recorded    in   his    diary    as    follows:     "The 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Governor,  upon  consideration  of  the  incon- 
veniences which  have  grown  in  England  by 
drinking  one  to  another,  restrained  it  at  his 
own  table  and  wished  others  to  do  the  like." 

Yet  Puritan  New  England  saw  very  little 
drunkenness.  Landlords  were  forbidden  by 
the  court  in  1645  "  to  suffer  anyone  to  be 
drunk  or  drink  excessively,  or  continue  tip- 
pling above  the  space  of  half  an  hour  in  any 
of  their  said  houses  under  penalty  of  5s  for 
every  such  offence  suffered;  and  every  per- 
son found  drunk  in  the  said  houses  or  else- 
where shall  forfeit  los;  and  for  every  exces- 
sive drinking  he  shall  forfeit  3s.  4d;  for 
sitting  idle  and  continuing  drinking  above 
half  an  hour,  2s  6d;  and  it  is  declared  to  be 
excessive  drinking  of  wine  when  above  half 
a  pint  of  wine  is  allowed  at  one  time  to  one 
person  to  drink:  provided  that  it  shall  be 
lawful  for  any  strangers,  or  lodgers,  or  any 
person  or  persons,  in  an  orderly  way  to  con- 
tinue in  such  houses  of  common  entertain- 
ment during  meal  times  or  upon  lawful 
business,  what  time  their  occasions  shall 
require." 

The  tithing-man  saw  to  it  that  "  strangers  " 
obeyed  the  law,  too.  John  Josselyn,  an  Eng- 
lish visitor  to  Boston  in  1663,  bears  witness 

8 


When  the  Inn  Was  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

to  this  fact  as  follows :  *'  At  houses  of  enter- 
tainment into  which  a  stranger  went,  he  was 
presently  followed  by  one  appointed  to  that 
office,  who  would  thrust  himself  into  the 
company  uninvited,  and  if  he  called  for  more 
drink  than  the  officer  thought  in  his  judg- 
ment he  could  soberly  bear  away  he  would 
presently  countermand  it  and  appoint  the 
proportion  beyond  which  he  could  not  get 
one  drop." 

Governor  Winthrop,  a  few  years  before, 
had  described  thus  the  relation  of  one  Boston 
constable  to  a  lodger  in  a  Boston  ordinary: 
"  There  fell  out  a  troublesome  business  .  .  . 
An  English  sailor  happened  to  be  drunk  and 
was  carried  to  his  lodging;  and  the  Constable 
(a  Godly  man  and  much  zealous  against 
such  disorders)  hearing  of  it  found  him  out, 
being  upon  his  bed  asleep;  so  he  awaked 
him  and  led  him  to  the  stocks,  no  magis- 
trate being  at  home.  He  being  left  in  the 
stocks,  some  one  of  La  Tour's  French  gentle- 
men visitors  in  Boston  lifted  up  the  stocks 
and  let  him  out.  The  Constable,  hearing  of 
it,  went  to  the  Frenchman  (being  then  gone 
and  quiet)  and  would  needs  carry  him  to  the 
stocks.  The  Frenchman  offered  to  yield 
himself  to  go  to  prison  but  the  Constable, 

9 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

not  understanding  his  language,  pressed  him 
to  go  to  the  stocks.  The  Frenchman  resisted 
and  drew  his  sword.  With  that  company 
came  in  and  disarmed  him,  and  carried  him 
by  force  to  the  stocks;  but  soon  after  the 
Constable  took  him  out  and  carried  him  to 
prison." 

When  the  stocks  were  not  found  effective 
to  cure  drunkenness,  a  Scarlet  Letter  method 
was  employed.  Thus  we  find  Robert  Coles 
condemned  in  1634  "  for  drunkenness  by  him 
committed  at  Rocksbury  shalbe  disfranchizd, 
Weare  about  his  neck  and  so  to  hang  upon 
his  outwd  garment  a  D.  made  of  redd  cloth 
&  sett  upon  white:  to  continyu  this  for  a 
yeare,  &  not  to  have  it  off  any  time  hee  comes 
among  company;  .  .-.  also  hee  is  to  wear 
the  D  outwards/^ 

Besides  being  closely  associated  with  the 
church,  the  Puritan  ordinary  was  often  the 
place  where  the  court  convened.  At  such 
times  the  public  house  became  the  resort  of 
large  numbers  of  people,  and  the  heart  of 
the  tavern-keeper  rejoiced  within  him.  In 
what  is  now  York  county  in  Maine,  the 
courts  were  usually  held  at  the  tavern  of 
Samuel  Austin,  the  jurors  being  allowed 
"  two  meals  a  day  at  the  expense  of  the  county 

10 


IVhen  the  Inn  JVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

during  the  time  of  their  attendance  upon  the 
trial."  One  of  the  important  functionaries 
at  these  tavern-trials  was  the  court  drummer, 
who  drew  two  shillings  a  day  for  beating  a 
tattoo  to  attract  the  populace  to  the  seat  of 
justice.  It  was  before  this  court  at  Austin's 
Tavern  in  Wells  that  several  good  citizens 
and  their  wives  were  brought,  in  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  saying  ^'  the 
Divil  a  bit;  "  and  it  was  by  order  of  a  decree 
here  made  that  George  Gaylord  was  in  1661 
subjected  to  thirty-nine  lashes  "  for  visiting 
the  widow  Hitchcock."  Wherein  this  was 
considered  a  crime  the  records  fail  to  state. 
Duxbury  had  several  interesting  old  ordi- 
naries. In  1660  Mr.  Collier,  who  was  emi- 
nently distinguished  in  the  public  affairs  of 
the  colony,  was  licensed  to  sell  the  beverage 
to  his  neighbours  in  Duxbury,  and  this  not  at 
all  for  gain,  but  because  the  magistrates  knew 
him  to  be  a  sober  and  discreet  man  and  one 
who  would  not  be  likely  to  suffer  any  trans- 
gression of  their  laws.  Constant  South- 
worth,  one  of  the  Deputies,  was  similarly 
distinguished  in  1648.  In  1678  Mr.  Seabury 
was  permitted  "  to  sell  liquors  unto  such 
sober  minded  naighbors,  as  hee  shall  thinke 
meet,  soe  as  hee  sell  not  lesse  then  the  quantie 

II 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

of  a  gallon  att  a  time  to  one  p^son,  and  not 
in  smaller  quantities  by  retaile  to  the  occa- 
tioning  of  drunkenes." 

The  ordinaries  of  the  seventeenth  century- 
were  far  from  luxurious  in  their  furnishings 
as  may  be  seen  from  almost  any  of  the  inven- 
tories made  up  when  they  changed  proprie- 
tors. In  1674  John  Whipple  of  Providence, 
who  had  come  to  that  town  from  Dorchester, 
was  granted  a  license  to  "  keepe  a  house  of 
Intertainment "  and  for  years  thereafter  this 
was  a  famous  place  of  resort.  Yet  when 
Whipple  died  in  1685  the  inventory  made  it 
plain  that  his  inn  consisted  of  but  two  rooms, 
"  ye  lower  room  "  and  '^  ye  chamber."  In 
the  "  lower  room  "  there  was  "  an  old  bed- 
stead and  a  bed  cord,"  "  a  cubbard  press," 
"3  old  curtains  and  a  valian  (valance)," 
"  an  old  Rotten  feather  bed  about  12  pounds 
of  old  feathers  in  it,"  "  a  joynt  work  chest, 
I  joyner  worke  chair  "  and  "  3  other  chairs." 
In  the  chamber  there  were  "  two  feather  beds 
and  bolster  (one  old),"  "  a  whitish  cotton  rug 
an  old  torne  sheet  a  part  of  a  bed  stud  and 
bed  cord,"  "  i  pillow  and  pillow  case,"  a 
"  Red  Coverlidd  a  bed  blanket,  much  worne, 
three  sheets,"  "  three  broken  joynt  stools  and 
a  Court  Cubbard." 

12 


When  the  Inn  IVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

Scarcely  the  outfit  of  the  St.  Regis  this! 
But  the  early  ordinaries,  in  the  country  at 
least,  were  not  intended  for  guests  who  would 
pass  the  night.  Their  chief  function  was  to 
circulate  the  festive  flip  up  to  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  and  to  thaw  out  pious  pilgrims 
before  and  after  meeting  on  Sundays.  Ordi- 
naries in  the  large  towns  were  a  different 
matter.  When  Hugh  Gunnison,  proprietor 
of  the  King's  Arms  in  Dock  Square,  Boston, 
sold  out  his  house  with  its  furniture  and 
appurtenances  in  165 1  he  realized  £600, 
a  right  goodly  sum  for  those  days.  The  list 
of  his  household  goods  is  of  particular  inter- 
est, not  only  for  itself,  but  also  because  it 
shows  that  the  custom  of  naming  rooms  ob- 
tained in  the  New  England  inn  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  as  it  had  in  the  old  England 
inn  of  the  sixteenth. 

"  In  the  chamber  called  the  Exchange  one 
halfe  bedstead  with  blew  pillows,  one  livery 
Cupboard  coloured  blue,  one  long  table, 
benches,  two  formes  and  one  carved  chaire. 

"  In  the  Kitchen  three  formes  dressers 
shelves. 

"  In  the  Larder  one  square  Table  banis- 
ters drssers  &  shelves  round. 

"  In  the  Hall,  three  Small  Roomes  with 

13 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

tables  and  benches  in  them  one  table  about 
six  foote  long  in  the  Hall  and  one  bench. 

^'  In  the  low  parlor  one  bedstead  one 
table  and  benches  two  formes,  one  small 
frame  of  a  form  and  shelves,  one  Closet  with 
shelves. 

"  In  the  room  Vnder  the  closet  one  child's 
bedstead. 

"  In  the  Chamber  called  London,  one 
bedsted  two  benches. 

^'  In  the  Chajnber  over  London  one  bed- 
sted, one  crosse  table  one  forme  one  bench. 

"  In  the  Closet  next  the  Exchange,  shelves. 

"  In  the  barr  by  the  hall,  three  shelves, 
the  frame  of  a  low  stoole. 

"  In  the  upper  p'lor  one  bedsted  two 
chairs  one  table  one  forme  bench  and  shelves. 

^'  In  the  Nursey  one  crosse  Table  with 
shelvs. 

"  In  the  Court  chamber  one  Long  table, 
three  formes  one  livery  cupbord  &  benches. 

"  In  the  closet  within  the  Court  chamber 
one  bedsted  and  shelvs. 

*^  In  the  Starr  chamber  one  long  table,  one 
bedsted,  one  livery  Cupbord  one  chair  three 
formes  with  benches. 

"  In  the  Garret  over  the  Court  chamber 
one  bedsted  one  table  two  formes. 

14 


JVhen  the  Inn  JVas  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

"  In  the  garret  over  the  closet  in  the  Court 
chamber  one  bedsted  one  smale  forme. 

"  In  the  foure  garrett  chambers  over  the 
Starr  Chamber  three  bedsteds  foure  tables 
with  benches. 

"  In  the  brewhouse  one  Cop,  twoe  fatts, 
one  under  back,  one  upper  back,  one  knead- 
ing trough  one  dresser  one  brake. 

"  In  the  stable  one  Racke  &  manger. 

"  In  the  yarde  one  pumpe,  pipes  to  convey 
the  water  to  the  brew  house,  fyve  hogg  styes, 
one  house  of  ofBce. 

"  The  signe  of  the  Kinges  Armes  and  signe 
posts." 

Except  for  a  sign,  —  which  all  ordinaries 
were  required  by  law  to  have,  and  tap- 
room-fixtures, —  which  even  the  poorest  of 
them  did  not  lack,  —  this  house  of  Gunni- 
son's was  very  unusually  equipped.  It  con- 
tained no  less  than  thirteen  "bedsteds!" 

By  1675  ordinaries  had  so  multiplied  that 
Cotton  Mather  complained  that  every  other 
house  in  Boston  was  an  ale-house.  And  in 
1696  Nathaniel  Saltonstall  of  Haverhill, 
Massachusetts,  protested  thus  to  the  Salem 
Court  against  the  increase  of  ordinaries  and 
ale-houses  in  the  colonies:  "Much  Hon'd 
Gentlemen:    I  allways  thought  it  great  pru- 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

dence  and  Christianity  in  our  former  leaders 
and  rulers,  by  their  laws  to  state  the  number 
of  publique  houses  in  towns  and  for  regula- 
tion of  such  houses,  as  were  of  necessity 
thereby  to  prevent  all  sorts,  almost,  of  wick- 
ednesses which  daily  grow  in  upon  us  like  a 
flood.  But  alas!  I  see  not  but  that  now  the 
case  is  over,  and  such  (as  to  some  places  I 
may  term  them)  pest-houses  and  places  of 
enticement  (tho  not  so  intended  by  the  Jus- 
tices) the  sins  are  multiplied.  It  is  multi- 
plied, too,  openly  that  the  cause  of  it  may 
be,  the  price  of  retailers'  fee  etc.  I  pray, 
what  need  of  six  retailers  in  Salisbury,  and 
of  more  than  one  in  Haverhill,  and  some 
other  towns,  where  the  people,  when  taxes 
and  rates  for  the  country  and  ministers  are 
collecting,  with  open  mouths  complain  of 
povertie  and  being  hardly  dealt  with,  and 
yet  I  am  fully  informed  can  spend  much 
time  and  spend  their  estates  at  such  blind 
holes,  as  are  clandestinely  and  unjustly  peti- 
tioned for;  and  more  threaten  to  get  licenses, 
chiefly  by  repairing  to  a  remote  court,  where 
they  are  not  known  or  suspected,  but  pass  for 
current,  and  thereby  the  towns  are  abused, 
and  the  youth  get  evil  habits;  and  men  sent 
out  on  country  service  at  such  places  waste 

i6 


When  the  Inn  Was  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

much  of  their  time,  yet  expect  pay  for  it,  in 
most  pernicious  loytering  and  what,  and 
sometimes  in  foolish  and  not  pot-valient 
firing  and  shooting  off  guns,  not  for  the 
destruction  of  enemies,  but  to  the  wonderful 
disturbance  and  affrightment  of  the  inhabit^ 
ants,  which  is  not  the  service  a  scout  is 
allowed  and  maintained  for.  .  .  . 

"  I  am  now  God's  prisoner,"  the  letter  con- 
cludes, "  and  cant  come  abroad,  and  have 
waited  long  to^speak  of  those  and  others  but 
as  yet  cant  meet  with  an  opportunity.  You 
have  nothing  here  of  personal  animosity  of 
mine  against  any  man  but  zeal  and  faithful- 
ness to  my  country  and  town,  and  to  the 
young  and  rising  generation  that  they  be  not 
too  much  at  liberty  to  live  and  do  as  they 
list.  Accept  of  the  good  intentions  of,  gentle- 
men, your  humble  servant,  —  N.  Saltonstall." 

Yet  Cotton  Mather  and  Nathaniel  Salton- 
stall to  the  contrary  notwithstanding  there 
was  almost  no  rioting  in  the  Puritan  ordi- 
nary. Had  such  been  the  case  we  should 
certainly  find  mention  of  it  in  SewalPs 
Diary,  —  and  that  incomparable  picture  of 
colonial  Boston  contains  not  more  than 
half  a  dozen  entries  in  all  concerning  tavern 
disorders.     The   longest  is   on   the   Queen's 

I? 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

birthday  in  1714:  —  "My  neighbor  Colson 
knocks  at  my  door  about  nine  P.  M.  or  past 
to  tell  of  disorders  at  the  ordinary  at  the 
South  End  kept  by  Mr.  Wallace.  He  desired 
me  that  I  would  accompany  Mr.  Bromfield 
and  Constable  Howard  hither.  It  was  35 
minutes  past  nine  before  Mr.  Bromfield 
came,  then  we  went,  took  Aeneas  Salter  with 
us.  Found  much  company.  They  refused 
to  go  away.  Said  was  there  to  drink  the 
Queen's  health  and  had  many  other  healths 
to  drink.  Called  for  more  drink  and  drank 
to  me.  I  took  notice  of  the  affront,  to  them. 
Said  they  must  and  would  stay  upon  that 
solemn  occasion.  Mr.  Netmaker  drank  the 
Queen's  health  to  me.  I  told  him  I  drank 
none;  on  that  he  ceased.  Mr.  Brinley  put 
on  his  hat  to  affront  me.  I  made  him  take  it 
off.  I  threatened  to  send  some  of  them  to 
prison.  They  said  they  could  but  pay  their 
fine  and  doing  that  might  stay.  I  told  them 
if  they  had  not  a  care  they  would  be  guilty 
of  a  riot.  Mr.  Bromfield  spake  of  raising  a 
number  of  men  to  quell  them,  and  was  in 
some  heat  ready  to  run  into  the  street.  But 
I  did  not  like  that.  Not  having  pen  and  ink 
I  went  to  take  their  names  with  my  pencil 
and  not  knowing  how  to  spell  their  names 

18 


When  the  Inn  Was  a  Puritan  Ordinary 

they  themselves  of  their  own  accord  writ 
them.  At  last  I  addressed  myself  to  Mr. 
Banister.  I  told  him  he  had  been  longest  an 
inhabitant  and  freeholder  and  I  expected  he 
would  set  a  good  example  by  departing  thence. 
Upon  this  he  invited  them  to  his  own  house, 
and  away  they  went.  And  we  went  after 
them  away.  I  went  directly  home  and  found 
it  25  minutes  past  ten  at  night  when  I  entered 
my  own  house." 

The  Judge  of  the  Witches,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  had  little  love  for  taverns. 
Sometimes,  to  be  sure,  he  made  pleasuring 
trips  with  his  wife  to  the  Greyhound  Tavern 
in  Roxbury,  —  a  public  house  which  had 
almost  the  odour  of  sanctity,  situated  as  it  was 
between  the  home  of  the  saintly  Eliot  and 
that  of  the  prayerful  Danforth,  —  there  to 
make  a  gala  dinner  upon  boiled  pork  and 
roast  fowls  before  riding  home  in  the  "  brave 
moonshine."  But  his  general  attitude  towards 
taverns  and  their  proprietors  was  one  of 
hostility  as  can  be  seen  from  an  entry  made 
in  his  diary  September  20,  1771,  when  he 
wrote,  ''  Thomas  Hale  was  made  a  justice. 
I  opposed  it  because  there  are  five  in  New- 
bury already,  and  he  had  lately  kept  an  ordi- 
nary and  sold  rum/^    The  selling  of  liquor 

19 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

was  not  at  all  to  Judge  Sewall's  taste. 
Readers  who  have  followed  the  story  of  this 
magistrate's  many  courtships  in  an  earlier 
book  of  mine  ^  will  recall,  however,  that  he 
had  not  the  slightest  objection  to  partaking 
of  "  Canary ''  once  it  had  been  sold. 

■ "  The  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Churches." 


20 


CHAPTER  II 

MADAM    KNIGHT:     TRAVELLER    AND    TAVERN- 
KEEPER 

Every  one  who  has  explored  at  all  the 
annals  of  early  New  England  has  met  with 
the  name  and  the  fame  of  Sarah  Knight. 
The  arduous  journey  from  Boston  to  New 
York  which  this  intrepid  woman  made  in 
1704  and  an  account  of  which  she  at  that 
time  committed  to  paper  is  far  too  remark- 
able not  to  have  become  a  classic  allusion 
among  writers  who  treat  colonial  subjects. 
Yet  one  has  to  search  far  and  long  before  one 
can  find  the  diary  as  originally  printed;  and 
few  who  read  therein  Madam  Knight's 
diatribes  against  many  of  the  public  houses 
at  which  she  stopped  during  her  journey 
realize  that  the  lady  herself  became  a  tav- 
ern-keeper towards  the  end  of  her  life. 

It  was  of  course  a  very  unusual  experience 
which  this  Boston-born  woman  invited  when 
she  set  out  on  horseback,  and  with  no  proper 

21 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

escort,  to  make  her  journey  to  distant 
New  York  two  long  centuries  ago.  Some 
idea  of  the  remoteness  of  that  time  is  gained 
from  remembering  that  Peregrine  White,  the 
first  child  born  after  the  landing  of  the  Pil- 
grims at  Plymouth,  had  just  died,  that  it 
was  five  years  before  the  birth  of  Dr.  John- 
son, one  year  before  the  birth  of  Benjamin 
Franklin  and  twenty-seven  years  before  the 
great  Washington  came  as  a  little  child 
among  us. 

Madam  Knight's  father  and  mother  were 
among  the  first  settlers  of  Charlestown  and 
are  both  buried  in  the  Copp's  Hill  cemetery, 
Boston.  For  many  years  they  lived  on  North 
square,  in  a  house  which  was  later  the  resi- 
dence of  Samuel  Mather.  It  was  on  the 
doorstep  of  this  house  that  Captain  Kemble 
saluted  his  wife,  one  Sabbath  day,  after 
returning  from  a  three  years'  absence,  thus 
calling  down  upon  his  head  the  penalty  of 
two  hours  in  the  stocks  "  for  lewd  and 
unseemly  conduct!  "  This  was  in  1673  when 
the  daughter  who  was  to  make  his  name 
remembered  was  a  child  of  seven. 

The  year  of  Sarah  Kemble's  marriage  to 
Richard  Knight  cannot  be  determined,  nor 
is  there  any  data  to  show  what  manner  of 

22 


Madam  Knight 

man  he  was.  At  the  time  of  the  famous 
journey  he  must  have  been  either  dead  or 
abroad,  however,  for  no  husband  properly- 
protective  would  have  allowed  his  wife  to 
undertake  so  hazardous  a  trip  merely  for  the 
sake  of  settling  an  estate. 

To  be  sure  the  lady  was  not  absolutely 
alone.  The  government  post  man  gave  her 
the  benefit  of  his  manly  protection  a  part  of 
the  time  and  when  he  was  not  available  she 
hired  another  guide.  But  the  entertainment 
afforded  at  the  ordinaries  along  the  way  was 
often  of  the  rudest  and  the  roads  for  the  most 
part  were  exceedingly  rough  and  wild. 

The  Vade  Mecum  for  America,  issued  in 
1732,  gives  the  names  of  all  the  taverns  on 
the  road  to  New  York  going  by  way  of  New 
London  and  as  this  was  almost  exactly  the 
route  Madam  Knight  followed  we  may 
believe  that  she  spent  her  first  night,  after 
leaving  Boston,  at  the  Dedham  ordinary, 
afterwards  kept  by  Nathaniel  Ames,  the 
celebrated  almanack  maker.  The  first  license 
for  this  tavern  is  dated  1658. 

The  flavour  of  those  far-away  days  may 
best  be  caught,  if  we  follow  Madam  Knight's 
own  crisp  account  of  what  she  heard  and  saw 
during  her  trip.     The  journal's  first  date  is 

23 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Monday,  October  2,  1704:  "About  three 
o'clock  afternoon,  I  began  my  Journey  from 
Boston  to  New  Haven;  being  about  two 
Hundred  Mile.  My  Kinsman,  Capt.  Robert 
Luist  waited  on  me  as  farr  as  Dedham, 
where  I  was  to  meet  ye  Western  post.  I 
vissitted  the  Reverd.  Mr.  Belcher,  Ye  Min- 
ister of  ye  town^  and  tarried  there  till  eve- 
ning, in  hopes  ye  post  would  come  along. 
But  he  not  coming,  I  resolved  to  go  to  Bil- 
lingses  where  he  used  to  lodg,  being  12  miles 
further.  But  being  ignorant  of  the  way, 
Madm  Belcher,  seeing  no  persuasions  of  her 
good  spouses  or  hers  could  prevail  with  me 
to  Lodg  there  that  night.  Very  kindly  went 
wyth  me  to  ye  Tavern,  where  I  hoped  to  get 
my  guide.  And  desired  the  Hostess  to  inquire 
of  her  guests  whether  any  of  them  would  go 
with  mee.  But  they  being  tyed  by  the  Lipps 
to  a  pewter  engine,  scarcely  allowed  them- 
selves time  to  say  what  clownish  .  .  .  [Here 
half  a  page  of  the  MS.  is  gone]  .  .  .  Pieces 
of  eight,  I  told  her  no,  I  would  not  be 
accessary  to  such  extortion. 

"  Then  John  shan't  go,  sais  shee.  No, 
indeed  shan't  hee;  And  held  forth  at  that 
rate  a  long  time,  that  I  began  to  fear  I  was 
got  among  the  Quaking  tribe,  beleeving  not 

24 


Madam  Knight 

a  Limbertong'd  sister  among  them  could  out 
do  Madm  Hostes. 

"  Upon  this,  to  my  no  small  surprise,  son 
John  arrose,  and  gravely  demanded  what  I 
would  give  him  to  go  with  me?  Give  you, 
sais  I,  are  you  John?  Yes,  says  he,  for  want 
of  a  Better;  And  behold  this  John  look't  as 
old  as  my  Host,  and  perhaps  had  bin  a  man 
in  the  last  Century.  Well,  Mr.  John,  sais  I, 
make  your  demands.  Why,  half  a  pass  of 
eight  and  a  dram,  sais  John.  I  agreed,  and 
gave  him  a  Dram  (now)  in  hand  to  bind 
the  bargain. 

"  My  hostess  catechis'd  John  for  going  so 
cheep,  saying  his  poor  wife  would  break  her 
heart  .  .  .  [Here  another  half  page  of  the 
MS.  is  gone]  .  .  .  His  shade  on  his  Hors 
resembled  a  Globe  on  a  Gate  post.  Hiss 
habitt,  Hors,  and  furniture,  its  looks  and 
goings   Incomparably  answered  the   rest. 

"  Thus  jogging  on  with  an  easy  pace,  my 
Guide  telling  mee  it  was  dangero's  to  Ride 
hard  in  the  Night  (wh  his  horse  had  the 
sence  to  avoid)  Hee  entertained  me  with  the 
Adventures  he  had  passed  by  late  Rideing, 
and  eminent  Dangers  he  had  escaped,  so  that 
remembring    the    Hero's    in    Parismus    and 


25 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

the  Knight  of  the  Oracle,  I  didn't  know  but 
I  had  mett  with  a  Prince  disguised. 

"  When  we  had  Ridd  about  an  how'r,  wee 
come  into  a  thick  swamp,  wch,  by  Reason  of 
a  great  fogg,  very  much  startled  mee,  it 
being  now  very  Dark.  But  nothing  dismay'd 
John:  Hee  had  encountered  a  thousand  and 
a  thousand  such  Swamps,  having  a  Univer- 
sal Knowledge  in  the  woods;  and  readily 
Answered  all  my  inquiries  wch  were  not  a 
few. 

"  In  about  an  how'r,  or  something  more, 
after  we  left  the  Swamp,  we  come  to  Bil- 
lingses,  where  I  was  to  Lodg.  My  guide  dis- 
mounted and  very  Complaisantly  help't  me 
down  and  shewd  the  door,  signing  me  wth 
his  hand  to  Go  in;  wch  I  Gladly  did  —  But 
had  not  gone  many  steps  into  the  Room,  ere 
I  was  Interrogated  by  a  young  Lady  I  under- 
stood afterwards  was  the  Eldest  daughter  of 
the  family  with  these  or  words  to  this  pur- 
pose, (viz)  Law  for  mee  —  what  in  the  world 
brings  You  here  at  this  time  a  night?  I 
never  see  a  woman  on  the  Rode  so  Dreadful! 
late  in  all  the  days  of  my  versall  life.  Who 
are  You?  Where  are  you  going?  I'me 
scar'd  out  of  my  witts  —  with  much  more  of 
the  same  Kind.     I  stood  aghast,  Prepareing 

26 


Madam  Knight 

to  reply,  when  in  comes  my  Guide  —  to  him 
Madam  turned,  Roreing  out:  Lawful!  heart, 
John,  is  it  You?  —  how  de  do!  Where  in  the 
world  are  you  going  with  this  woman?  Who 
is  she?  John  made  no  Ansr.  but  sat  down  in 
the  corner,  fumbled  out  his  black  Junk,  and 
saluted  that  instead  of  Debb ;  she  then  turned 
agen  to  mee  and  fell  anew  into  her  silly 
questions,  without  asking  me  to  sitt  down. 

"  I  told  her  she  treated  me  very  Rudely, 
and  I  did  not  think  it  my  duty  to  answer  her 
unmannerly  Questions.  But  to  get  ridd  of 
them,  I  told  her  I  come  there  to  have  the 
post's  company  with  me  to-morrow  on  my 
Journey  &c.  Miss  star'd  awhile,  drew  a 
chair,  bid  me  sitt.  And  then  run  up  stairs 
and  putts  on  two  or  three  Rings  (or  else  I 
had  not  seen  them  before)  and  returning, 
sett  herself  just  before  me,  showing  the  way 
to  Reding,  that  I  might  see  her  ornaments 
...  I  paid  honest  John  wth  money  and  dram 
according  to  contract  and  Dismist  him,  and 
prayM  Miss  to  shew  me  where  I  must  Lodg. 
Shee  conducted  me  to  a  parlour  in  a  little 
back  Lento  wch  was  almost  fillM  with  the 
bedstead  wch  was  so  high  that  I  was  forced 
to  climb  on  a  chair  to  gitt  up  to  ye  wretched 
bed  that  lay  on  it;  .  .  ." 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Varied  and  exciting  as  had  been  Madam 
Knight's  first  day  it  was  luxurious  travelling 
compared  with  that  of  the  day  which 
followed.  At  her  next  stopping-place  she 
was  served  "  cabage  of  so  deep  a  purple  " 
that  she  concluded  the  cook  must  have 
"boild  it  in  her  dye-kettle!"  But  "having 
here  discharged  the  Ordnary  for  self  and 
Guide  (as  I  understood  was  the  custom) 
About  Three  afternoon  went  on  with  my 
Third  Guide,  who  Rode  very  hard;  and  hav- 
ing crossed  Providence  Ferry,  we  come  to  a 
River  wch  they  Generally  Ride  thro'.  But  I 
dare  not  venture ;  so  the  Post  got  a  Ladd  and 
cannoo  to  carry  me  to  tother  side  and  hee 
ridd  thro'  and  Led  my  hors." 

The  lady's  sensations  in  the  canoe  are  amus- 
ingly described.  "It  was  very  small  and  shal- 
low, so  that  when  we  were  in  she  seem'd  redy 
to  take  in  water  which  greatly  terrified  mee, 
and  caused  me  to  be  very  circumspect,  sit- 
ting with  my  hands  fast  on  each  side,  my  eyes 
stedy,  not  daring  so  much  as  to  lodg  my 
tongue  a  hair's  breadth  more  on  one  side  of 
my  mouth  than  tother,  nor  so  much  as  think 
on  Lott's  wife,  for  a  wry  thought  would 
have  oversett  our  wherey:  But  was  soon  put 
out  of  this  pain,  by  feeling  the  Cannoo  on 

28 


Madam  Knight 

shore,  wch  I  as  soon  almost  saluted  with  my 
feet;  and  Rewarding  my  sculler,  again 
mounted  and  made  the  best  of  our  way 
forwards." 

A  little  further  on  in  that  same  day's  jour- 
ney Madam  Knight  actually  did  ford  a  river, 
however,  knowing  that  she  must  either 
"  Venture  the  fate  of  drowning,  or  be  left 
like  ye  Children  in  the  wood.  So,  as  the  Post 
bid  me,  I  gave  Reins  to  my  Nagg;  and  sit- 
ting as  steady  as  just  before  in  the  Cannoo, 
in  a  few  minutes  got  safe  to  the  other  side." 
The  end  of  this  day's  travel  was  marked  "  by 
the  Post's  sounding  his  horn,  which  assured 
mee  hee  was  arrived  at  the  Stage,  where  we 
were  to  Lodg:  and  that  musick  was  then 
most  musickall  and  agreeable  to  mee." 

This  tavern  was  Haven's  in  what  is  now 
North  Kingston,  Rhode  Island,  "  a  clean 
comfortable  house,"  where  Madam  Knight 
was  promptly  served  with  "  Chocolett  made 
with  milk  in  a  little  clean  brass  Kettle."  The 
bed  "was  pretty  hard  Yet  neet  and  hand- 
some "  and,  had  it  not  been  for  a  topers'  dis- 
pute .in  the  adjoining  kitchen,  our  lady  trav- 
eller would  have  felt  herself  quite  fortunate 
for  the  nonce  in  her  fare.  The  next  day, 
however,  she  was  forced  to  ride  twenty-two 

29 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

miles  before  coming  to  any  tavern.  And  then 
the  proprietor  brusquely  refused  to  give  shel- 
ter! The  name  of  this  surly  taverner  was 
Davol  spelled  Devil  in  the  old  records.  And 
Madam  Knight,  as  we  might  have  known, 
did  not  neglect  the  opportunity  thus  offered 
her  to  make  sharp  puns  on  this  bad  land- 
lord's name.  In  New  London  she  was  the 
guest  of  Rev.  Gurdon  Saltonstall,  minister 
of  the  place,  and  through  his  good  offices, 
a  young  gentleman,  Mr.  Joshua  Wheeler, 
was  persuaded  to  guide  her  as  far  as  New 
Haven.  Here  the  doughty  dame  informed 
herself  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
place  and  at  the  same  time  worked  right 
diligently  at  the  affair  she  had  come  upon. 
Some  of  her  descriptions  of  Connecticut  life 
in  that  day  are  very  interesting: 

"  On  training  dayes  the  Youth  divert  them- 
selves by  Shooting  at  the  Target,  as  they  call 
it,  .  .  .  where  he  that  hits  neerest  the  white 
has  some  yards  of  Red  Ribbon  presented 
him,  wch  being  tied  to  his  hattband,  the  two 
ends  streeming  down  his  back,  he  is  Led  away 
in  Triumph,  wth  great  applause,  as  the 
winners  of  the  Olympiack  Games  .  .  .  " 
Madam  Knight's  study  of  the  Connecticut 
Indians  is  also  diverting. 

30 


Madam  Knight 

After  two  months  stay  in  New  Haven  our 
traveller  resolved  to  push  on  to  New  York. 
"  Being  by  this  time  well  Recruited  and 
rested  after  my  Journy,  and  my  business 
lying  unfinished  by  some  concerns  at  New 
York  depending  thereupon,  I  resolved  to  go 
there  with  my  kinsman,  Mr.  Thomas  Trow- 
bridge of  New  Haven  and  a  man  of  the 
town  who  I  engaged  to  wait  on  me  there." 
At  Rye  the  little  party  lodged  "  in  an  ordi- 
nary wch  a  French  family  kept.  Here  being 
very  hungry,  I  desired  a  fricasee  wch  the 
Frenchman  undertakeing,  mannaged  so  con- 
trary to  my  notion  of  Cookery,  that  I  hastned 
to  Bed  supperless."  At  this  house  Madam 
Knight  did  not  even  have  a  room  to  herself; 
after  she  had  laid  her  down  on  the  hard  bed 
provided,  she  heard  a  rustling  noise  nearby 
and  upon  inquiry  found  that  the  maid  was 
"  making  a  bed  for  the  men  "  on  the  floor 
not  far  from  her  own  couch! 

New  York  impressed  Madam  Knight  as 
a  less  desirable  place  of  residence  than  Bos- 
ton, for  she  found  that,  —  even  two  centuries 
ago,  —  its  inhabitants  "  were  not  so  strict  in 
keeping  the  Sabbath."  (At  this  time,  too,  it 
is  worth  noting,  Boston  had  a  population  of 
ten  thousand  people  as  against  New  York's 

31 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

five  thousand.)  Madam  Knight  was  herself 
a  genial  soul,  though,  and  she  describes  with 
very  evident  appreciation  the  ^'  Vendues  "  she 
attended  and  the  ''  Riding  in  Sleys  about 
three  or  four  Miles  out  of  Town  where  they 
have  Houses  of  Entertainment  at  a  place 
called  the  Bowery "  in  which  she  had  a 
share. 

Early  in  January  she  was  again  in  New 
Haven  and  now,  at  length,  she  comes  to  "  an 
accommodation  and  distribution  "  with  those 
involved  with  her  in  the  settlement  of  the 
estate.  Accordingly  in  February  she  writes 
that  "  the  man  that  waited  on  me  to  New 
York  taking  charge  of  me  I  set  out  for  Bos- 
ton. We  went  from  New  Haven  upon  the 
ice  (the  ferry  not  being  passable  thereby) 
.  .  .  and  went  on  without  anything  remark- 
abl  till  wee  come  to  New  London  and  I 
lodged  again  at  Mr.  Saltonstall's  —  and  here 
I  dismist  my  guide  and  my  generos  enter- 
tainer promised  me  Mr.  Samuel  Rogers  of 
that  place  to  go  home  with  me.  I  stayed  a 
day  longer  here  than  I  intended  by  com- 
mands of  the  Honble  Govenor  Winthrop 
to  stay  and  take  supper  with  him  whose  won- 
derful civility  I  may  not  omitt.  The  next 
morning  I  Crossed  ye  Ferry  to  Groton,  hav- 

32 


Madam  Knight 

ing  had  the  Honor  of  the  Company  of 
Madam  Livingston  (who  is  the  Govenors 
Daughter)  .  .  .  and  divers  others  to  the  boat 
—  And  that  night  Lodgd  at  Stonington  and 
had  Rost  Beef  and  pumpkin  sause  for  sup- 
per. The  next  night  at  Haven's  and  had 
Rost  Fowle! "  Haven's  appears  to  have  been 
well  named. 

It  was  on  March  third  that  Madam 
Knight  "  got  safe  home  to  Boston,"  having 
been  nearly  a  fortnight  on  the  road.  No 
wonder  her  "  Kind  relations  and  friends " 
flocked  in  to  welcome  her  and  hear  the  story 
of  her  "  transactions  and  travails."  She  had 
been  away  five  months  in  all  and  that  in  a 
day  when  men,  much  less  women,  scarcely 
ever  travelled  the  271  miles  which  the  Vade 
Mecum  gives  as  the  post  route  to  New  York. 
Nothing  but  verse  could  adequately  express 
her  emotions  so  she  wrote  on  the  window- 
pane  of  her  room: 

"  Now  Fve  returned  to  Sarah  Knight's 
Thro*  many  toils  and  many  frights 
Over  great  rocks  and  many  stones 
God  has  presarVd  from  fracter'd  bones." 

Hazardous  and  exhausting  as  had  been 
this  journey  to  New  London  it  by  no  means 

33 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

discouraged  Sarah  Knight,  however.  For 
when  her  only  daughter  Elizabeth  married, 
some  eight  years  later,  the  Colonel  John 
Livingston  "  whose  first  wife  was  the  Gov- 
enors  Daughter  "  our  traveller  again  made 
her  way  to  the  Connecticut  town,  where  she 
successively  speculated  in  Indian  lands,  man- 
aged a  shop,  cultivated  a  farm  and,  —  last 
but  not  least,  —  kept  a  tavern.  She  bought 
her  Norwich  property  in  1717  and  the  year 
following  she  was,  with  others,  brought 
before  Richard  Bushnell,  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  for  selling  strong  drink  to  the  Indians. 
She  tried  to  shift  the  blame  of  the  liquor- 
selling  upon  her  maid,  Ann  Clark,  but  refus- 
ing to  acquit  herself  by  swearing  that  Ann 
was  solely  to  blame,  she  was  sentenced  to  pay 
a  fine  of  twenty  shillings.  All  the  while, 
however.  Madam  Knight  was  moving  in  good 
society  in  Norwich,  and  writing  what  was 
called  poetry  for  the  edification  of  her  select 
circle  of  friends. 

In  1722  she  moved  to  the  Livingston  farm 
on  the  west  side  of  the  road  from  Norwich 
to  New  London  and  opened  there  a  "  place 
of  entertainment  for  travellers "  where  she 
lived  until  her  death  September  25,  1727,  in 
the  sixty-second  year  of  her  age.     She  lies 

34 


Madam  Knight 

buried  in  the  New  London  cemetery.  The 
famous  Diary  was  preserved  in  the  family  of 
Christopher  Christophers  of  New  London, 
whose  wife,  Sarah,  inherited  it,  among  other 
effects,  from  Madam  Livingston,  who  was 
Sarah  Knight's  daughter.  Later  it  passed,  by 
inheritance,  into  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Icha- 
bod  Wetmore  of  Middletown,  Connecticut, 
who  allowed  its  publication  in  1825  under 
the  supervision  of  Theodore  Dwight  of  New 
York.  Reviewers  generally  regarded  it, 
when  first  given  to  the  world,  as  a  clever 
forgery  and  it  was  classed  in  libraries  as 
fiction.  Now,  however,  it  is  highly  prized 
as  an  authentic  picture  of  early  New  Eng- 
land and  its  author  is  widely  acclaimed  one 
of  the  most  interesting  characters  of  her 
time. 


35 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    FATHER   OF   THE    TURNPIKE   AND    SOME 
RELATED  TAVERNS 

The  first  post-road  to  New  York,  over 
which  Madam  Knight  travelled  in  1704, 
went  by  the  way  of  Providence,  Stonington, 
New  London  and  the  shore  of  Long  Island 
Sound,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  miles.  Just  eighty  years  after  that 
doughty  dame's  journey,  Captain  Levi  Pease 
put  on  a  regular  stage  between  Boston  and 
Hartford  and  the  beginning  of  systematic 
communication  between  Boston  and  New 
York  was  established.  Pease  was  a  Connect- 
icut man  (born  in  Enfield  in  1740)  but  after 
his  marriage  he  removed  to  Massachusetts, 
and  it  is  with  a  little  Massachusetts  town, 
Shrewsbury,  near  Worcester,  that  his  fame 
is  most  intimately  bound  up.  Shrewsbury, 
moreover,  is  particularly  interesting  to  us 
because,  at  the  time  Pease  started  his  stage 
route,  there  were  no  less  than  three  noted 

36 


-^'IJ:- 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

taverns   in   the   place,  —  Farrar's,   Baldwin's 
and  Howe's. 

Farrar's  Tavern  is  now  better  known  as 
the  Pease  Tavern  for  the  reason  that  the 
"  Father  of  the  Turnpike  "  eventually  came 
to  be  its  landlord.  But  Major  John  Farrar, 
an  army  officer  of  considerable  distinction, 
was  in  charge  during  the  Revolution  and 
during  the  visit  made  to  the  village  in  1789 
by  General  Washington  while  on  his  way  to 
Boston.  For  all  travellers  to  and  from  the 
New  England  capital  the  house  was  a  pop- 
ular resort,  for  it  stood  on  the  corner  formed 
by  the  junction  of  the  "great  road  "  with  the 
road  to  Westboro',  about  one  mile  from  the 
Northboro'  line,  right  in  the  current  of 
travel.  Very  likely,  therefore,  it  was  at  this 
tavern  that  John  Adams  overheard  in  1774 
the  conversation  which,  tavern-hater  though 
he  was,  so  impressed  him  that  he  set  it  down 
with  scarcely  concealed  pleasure:  "Within 
the  course  of  the  year,  before  the  meeting  of 
Congress  in  1774,  on  a  journey  to  some  of 
our  circuit  courts  in  Massachusetts,  I  stopped 
one  night  at  a  tavern  in  Shrewsbury  about 
forty  miles  from  Boston,  and  as  I  was  cold 
and  wet,  I  sat  down  at  a  good  fire  in  the  bar- 


37 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

room  to  dry  my  greatcoat  and  saddlebags  till 
a  fire  could  be  made  in  my  chamber. 

"  There  presently  came  in,  one  after 
another,  half  a  dozen  or  half  a  score  substan- 
tial yeomen  of  the  neighborhood,  who, 
sitting  down  to  the  fire,  after  lighting  their 
pipes,  began  a  lively  conversation  on  politics. 
As  I  believed  I  was  unknown  to  them  all,  I 
sat  in  total  silence  to  hear  them.  One  said: 
*The  people  of  Boston  are  distracted.'  An- 
other answered:  ^  No  wonder  the  people  of 
Boston  are  distracted.  Oppression  will  make 
wise  men  mad.'  A  third  said:  ^  What  would 
you  say  if  a  fellow  should  come  to  your 
house  and  tell  you  he  was  going  to  make  a 
list  of  your  cattle,  that  Parliament  might  tax 
you  for  them  at  so  much  a  head?  And  how 
should  you  feel  if  he  was  to  go  and  break 
open  your  barn  to  take  down  your  oxen, 
cows,  horses  and  sheep?'  *What  would  I 
say? '  replied  the  first,  *  I  would  knock  him 
in  the  head.'  ^  Well,'  said  a  fourth,  *  if  Par- 
liament can  take  away  Mr.  Hancock's  wharf 
and  Mr.  Rowe's  wharf,  they  can  take  away 
yf)ur  barn  and  my  house.' 

"  After  much  more  reasoning  in  this  style, 
a  fifth,  who  had  as  yet  been  silent,  broke  out: 
*Well,  it's  high  time  for  us  to  rebel;    we 

38 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

must  rebel  some  time  or  other,  and  we  had 
better  rebel  now  than  at  any  time  to  come. 
If  we  put  if  off  for  ten  or  twenty  years,  and 
let  them  go  on  as  they  have  begun,  they  will 
get  a  strong  party  among  us,  and  plague  us  a 
great  deal  more  than  they  can  now.  As  yet 
they  have  but  a  small  party  on  their  side.'  " 
With  such  talk  as  this  stirring  in  Shrews- 
bury it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  town 
produced  one  of  the  most  effective  leaders  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  General  Artemas 
Ward.  Ward  was  born  in  1727  in  the  house 
afterwards  known  as  the  Baldwin  Tavern, 
which  his  father  had  built  two  years  before 
and  which  passed  in  1755  into  the  possession 
of  Henry  Baldwin  of  Pelham,  New  Hamp- 
shire. Only  a  heap  of  stones  now  marks  the 
site  of  Baldwin's  tavern  but  it  was  in  its  day 
a  fine  house  and  a  very  noted  resort.  We 
cannot  do  better  than  linger  for  a  little  while 
over  its  traditions.  One  of  these  concerns 
a  murder  committed  here  on  a  certain  night 
by  a  traveller  who  had  taken  a  room  with 
his  ill-starred  victim.  In  the  morning  the 
guilty  party  had  fled  but  the  hideous  blood- 
stains on  the  bedstead  testified  that  the  dead 
man  on  the  floor  had  met  his  end  only  after 
a  terrible  struggle. 

39 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

One  habitue  of  this  tavern  was  old  Grimes 
of  Hubbardston,  immortalized  by  Albert  G. 
Green  in  a  curious  poem  which  praises  more 
ingeniously  than  honestly  a  somewhat  dis- 
reputable character.  For  Grimes  was  the 
kind  of  man  who  could,  and  did,  ride  his 
horse  straight  into  the  tap-room  of  the  Bald- 
win Tavern  in  case  he  was  too  unsteady,  — 
as  not  infrequently  happened,  —  to  dismount 
outside.  The  poem,  however,  with  its  curi- 
ous division  of  theme,  (the  first  two  lines  of 
each  stanza  refer,  it  will  be  noted,  to  the 
man's  character  and  the  last  two  to  his 
clothing)  is  interesting  enough  to  be  quoted 
in  full: 

OLD  GRIMES 

Old  Grimes  is  dead,  that  good  old  man, 

We  ne'er  shall  see  him  more; 
He  used  to  wear  a  long  blue  coat 

All  buttoned  down  before. 

His  heart  was  open  as  the  day. 

His  feelings  all  were  true; 
His  hair  was  some  inclined  to  gray 

He  wore  it  in  a  queue. 

Whene'er  he  heard  the  voice  of  pain. 

His  heart  with  pity  burned; 
The  large  round  head  upon  his  cane 

From  ivory  was  turned. 
40 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

Kind  words  he  ever  had  for  all, 

He  knew  no  fell  design; 
His  eyes  were  dark  and  rather  small 

His  nose  was  aquiline. 

He  lived  at  peace  with  all  mankind, 

In  friendship  he  was  true; 
His  coat  had  pocket-holes  behind, 

His  pantaloons  were  blue. 

Unharmed,  the  sin  which  earth  pollutes 

He  passed  serenely  o'er; 
And  never  wore  a  pair  of  boots 
For  thirty  years  or  more. 

But  good  old  Grimes  is  now  at  rest 
Nor  fears  misfortune's  frown; 

He  wore  a  double-breasted  vest. 
The  stripes  ran  up  and  down. 

He  modest  merit  sought  to  find 

And  pay  it  its  desert; 
He  had  no  malice  in  his  mind 

No  ruffles  on  his  shirt. 

His  worldly  goods  he  never  threw 
In  trust  to  Fortune's  dances, 

But  hved  (  as  all  his  brothers  do  ) 
In  easy  circumstances. 

His  neighbours  he  did  not  abuse 

Was  sociable  and  gay; 
He  wore  large  buckles  on  his  shoes 

And  changed  them  every  day. 

41 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

His  knowledge  hid  from  public  gaze, 

He  did  not  bring  to  view; 
Nor  make  a  noise  town-meeting  days. 

As  many  people  do. 

Thus  undisturbed  by  anxious  cares. 

His  peaceful  moments  ran; 
And  everybody  said  he  was 

A  fine  old  gentleman. 

If,  however,  you  would  have  fact  instead 
of  poetry  concerning  old  Grimes,  see  the 
History  of  Hubbardston.  For  he  was  no 
fictitious  character;  the  ancient  roof-tree  on 
the  Gardner  road  with  which  he  is  identified 
has  burned  down  within  the  past  six  months. 

After  the  Baldwins,  father  and  son,  had 
passed  to  their  rewards,  the  tavern  bearing 
their  name  came  into  the  possession  of  Cap- 
tain Aaron  Smith,  one  of  the  Shrewsbury 
men  who  had  fought  at  Bunker  Hill  and  who 
afterwards  followed  Lafayette.  When  the 
Marquis  came  to  Worcester  in  1824  Aaron 
Smith,  then  in  his  eighty-ninth  year,  marched 
from  his  home  to  greet  his  old  commander 
and  present  to  him  an  elegant  cane  which  he 
had  carved  from  a  grape-vine  brought  from 
the  Jerseys.  It  is,  however,  with  Captain 
Smith's  share  in  the  Shays  Rebellion  that  the 

42 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

principal  interest  of  his  career  lies  for  us. 
For  it  was  in  the  court-yard  of  his  tavern 
that  the  rebellious  ones  had  their  rendezvous 
and  from  that  spot  they  hurled  defiance  at 
Judge  Ward  who  then  lived  in  the  house 
directly  opposite. 

This  insurrectionary  movement  was  nur- 
tured in  Conkey's  tavern,  Pelham,  by  Cap- 
tain Daniel  Shays,  an  adventurous  soul  who 
lived  within  half  a  mile  of  that  hostelry 
(built  in  1758)  and  so  found  it  very  conve- 
nient to  develop  there  a  plan  for  resisting 
what  seemed  to  him  the  tyranny  of  the  judges. 
Shays  saw,  as  did  many  another,  that  the 
people  had  been  made  very  poor  by  the 
enormous  expense  attending  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  And  as  imprisonments  multi- 
plied for  debts  which  there  was  small  hope 
of  ever  being  able  to  pay  he  conceived  the 
notion  of  stopping  all  court  action  and  so 
setting  matters  right.  He  had  brooded  too 
long,  among  his  lonely  Pelham  hills,  upon 
sufferings  which  only  time  and  patience 
could  remove;  and  these  broodings,  rein- 
forced by  a  consciousness  of  power  and 
inflamed  by  the  drinks  served  before  Land- 
lord Conkey  s  blazing  fire  combined  to  make 
him  a  rebel  of  thoroughly  dangerous  type. 

43 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

His  following  was  confined  very  largely  to 
Worcester  county  and  among  his  men  were 
many  from  Shrewsbury.  Captain  Aaron 
Smith  rallied  his  old  soldiers  in  response  to 
Shays'  command,  and  several  others,  who  had 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War  under  Gen- 
eral Ward,  now  took  up  arms  against  their 
old  neighbour  and  commander,  solely  because 
he  was  the  representative  of  the  majesty  of 
the  law. 

It  took  real  courage  to  defy  these  desperate 
men  when  they  presented  themselves  at  the 
court-house  steps  and  with  drawn  swords  and 
fixed  bayonets  forbade  Judge  Ward  to  go 
about  his  business.  Lincoln's  History  of 
Worcester  credits  the  usually  silent  judge 
with  a  magnificent  burst  of  eloquence  as  the 
bayonets  of  his  former  soldiers  penetrated 
his  clothing.  He  told  them  that  "  he  did 
not  value  their  bayonets;  they  might  plunge 
them  into  his  heart;  but  while  that  heart 
beat  he  would  do  his  duty;  when  opposed 
to  it  his  life  was  of  little  consequence;  if 
they  would  take  away  their  bayonets  and 
give  him  some  position  where  he  could  be 
heard  by  his  fellow-citizens  and  not  by  the 
leaders  alone  who  had  deceived  and  deluded 
them,  he  would  speak  but  not  otherwise." 

44 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

Struck  with  admiration  for  their  old  com- 
mander's courage  the  bayonets  were  with- 
drawn and  then,  with  great  fervour  and 
irresistible  logic,  Judge  Ward  proceeded  to 
reason  with  the  people,  showing  them  that, 
though  their  grievances  were  not  to  be 
denied,  they  had  taken  an  utterly  wrong  way 
to  relieve  them.  His  hearers  were  not  a  little 
impressed  and  they  finally  allowed  Judge 
Ward  to  go  in  peace.  Then,  the  Court 
having  adjourned  to  a  certain  day  in  Jan- 
uary, those  under  arms  marched  back  to  their 
headquarters  in  front  of  the  Baldwin  Tavern. 
Here,  ere  long,  the  militia  found  them  out 
and  dispersed  them,  sadder  and  wiser  men, 
Shays  having  already  left  his  followers  to 
hide  himself  in  obscurity. 

Still  another  tavern,^  —  in  Fitchburg,  Mas- 
sachusetts, —  is  interestingly  connected  with 
the  Shays  Rebellion.  This,  the  present  home 
of  Mrs.  S.  A.  Fairbanks,  was  then  known  as 
the  Upton  Tavern  and  officers  were  in  pur- 
suit of  rebels  who  fled  there  for  protection. 
But  the  servants  of  the  law  did  not  find  their 
men  for  they  neglected  to  examine  sufficiently 
the  crooked  little  closet  under  the  stairs  in 
the  front  hall. 

The  Shays  Rebellion  crisis  in  Shrewsbury's 

*  See  also  note  on  Page  371. 
45 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

history  was  in  1787,  —  and  Levi  Pease^s 
coach  had  for  four  years  now  been  tooling 
through  the  village.  It  took  great  faith  in 
the  value  of  the  enterprise  to  run  empty 
wagons  to  Hartford  and  back  as  was  done 
for  some  little  time,  but  Pease  had  performed 
many  hard  things  before  and  so  knew  how. 
During  the  Revolution  he  had  often  carried 
important  messages  at  great  peril  of  his  life; 
it  is  related  of  him  that  on  many  a  moonlight 
night  he  lay  on  his  back  and  paddled  his 
boat  with  his  hands  lest  he  be  betrayed  to 
some  suspicious  eyes.  So  he  was  just  the  man 
to  start  our  first  stage  line.  For  money  he 
turned  to  his  friend  Reuben  Sykes,  who  had 
previously  driven  a  stage  with  him  from 
Somers  to  Hartford,  —  a  distance  of  twenty 
miles,  —  and  on  October  20th,  1783,  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  Pease  started  from 
Boston,  as  did  Sykes  from  Hartford,  in  "  two 
convenient  wagons  "  !  Each  made  the  allotted 
trip  in  four  days,  the  fare  being  ten  dollars 
each  way,  and  the  transfer  from  Pease's 
coach  to  Sykes'  being  effected  at  Spencer, 
the  highest  point  between  Boston  and  Spring- 
field. So  successful  did  the  enterprise  soon 
grow  to  be  that  Pease  became  the  owner  of 


46 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

a  Boston  inn,  on  the  spot  where  St.  Paul's 
church  now  stands. 

Still  it  was  hard  travelling  in  those  earliest 
days  if  we  may  trust  Josiah  Quincy.  "  I  set 
out  from  Boston,"  he  says,  "  in  the  line  of 
stages  lately  established  by  an  enterprising 
Yankee,  Pease  by  name,  which  in  that  day 
was  considered  a  method  of  transportation  of 
wonderful  expedition.  The  journey  to  New 
York  took  up  a  week.  The  carriages  were 
old  and  shackling,  and  much  of  the  harness 
made  of  ropes.  One  pair  of  horses  carried 
the  stage  eighteen  miles.  We  generally 
reached  our  resting-place  for  the  night,  if  no 
accident  intervened,  at  ten  o'clock  and  after 
a  frugal  supper  went  to  bed  with  a  notice 
that  we  should  be  called  at  three  the  next 
morning,  which  generally  proved  to  be  half- 
past  two.  Then,  whether  it  snowed  or 
rained,  the  traveller  must  rise  and  make 
ready  by  the  help  of  a  horn  lantern  and  a 
farthing  candle,  and  proceed  on  his  way  over 
bad  roads,  .  .  .  Thus  we  travelled,  eighteen 
miles  a  stage,  sometimes  obliged  to  get  out 
and  help  the  coachman  lift  the  coach  out  of 
a  quagmire  or  rut,  and  arrived  at  New  York 
after  a  week's  hard  travelling,  wondering  at 
the  ease  as  well  as  expedition  of  our  journey." 

47 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Captain  Pease  was  not  a  man  to  endure 
poor  roads  if  he  could  help  it,  however,  and 
so  with  his  usual  enterprise  and  energy  he 
soon  set  on  foot  a  movement  which  resulted 
in  the  first  Massachusetts  turnpike,  laid  out 
in  1808  from  Boston  to  Worcester  through 
South  Shrewsbury.  Much  earlier  than  this 
he  had  bought  better  horses  and  more  com- 
fortable wagons,  so  that  he  was  able  to  adver- 
tise in  the  Massachusetts  Spy  or  the  Worces- 
ter Gazette,  under  date  of  January  5,  1786: 

^'  Stages  from  Portsmouth  in  New  Hamp- 
shire to  Savannah  in  Georgia. 

"  There  is  now  a  line  of  Stages  established 
from  New  Hampshire  to  Georgia,  which  go 
and  return  regularly,  and  carry  the  several 
Mails,  by  order  and  permission  of  Con- 
gress. 

"  The  stages  from  Boston  to  Hartford  in 
Connecticut  set  out  during  the  winter  season, 
from  the  home  of  Levi  Pease,  at  the  Sign  of 
the  New  York  Stage,  opposite  the  Mall,  in 
Boston,  every  Monday  and  Thursday  morn- 
ing precisely  at  five  o'clock,  go  as  far  as 
Worcester  on  the  evenings  of  those  days  and 
on  the  days  following  proceed  to  Palmer, 
and  on  the  third  day  reach  Hartford;  the 
first  Stage  reaches  the  city  of  New  York  on 

48 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

Saturday  evening,  and  the  other  on  the 
Wednesday  evening  following. 

"  The  stages  from  New  York  for  Boston 
set  out  on  the  same  days,  and  reach  Hartford 
at  the  same  time  as  the  Boston  stages. 

"  The  stages  from  Boston  exchange  pas- 
sengers with  the  stages  from  Hartford  at 
Spencer,  and  the  Hartford  Stages  exchange 
with  those  from  New  York  at  Hartford. 
Passengers  are  again  exchanged  at  Stratford 
Ferry  and  not  again  until  their  arrival  at 
New  York. 

"  By  the  present  regulation  of  the  stages, 
it  is  certainly  the  most  convenient  and  expe- 
ditious way  of  travelling  that  can  possibly 
be  had  in  America,  and  in  order  to  make  it 
the  cheapest,  the  proprietors  of  the  stages 
have  lowered  their  price  from  fourpence  to 
three  pence  a  mile,  with  liberty  to  passengers 
to  carry  fourteen  pounds  baggage. 

"  In  the  summer  season  the  stages  are  to 
run  with  the  mail  three  times  in  a  week 
instead  of  twice  in  the  winter,  by  which 
means  those  who  take  passage  at  Boston  in 
the  stage  which  sets  off  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, may  arrive  at  New  York  on  the  Thurs- 
day evening  following,  and  all  the  mails 
during  that  season  are  to  be  but  four  days 

49 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

going  from  Boston  to  New  York,  and  so  from 
New  York  to  Boston. 

"  Those  who  intend  taking  passage  in  the 
stages  must  leave  their  names  and  baggage 
the  evening  preceding  the  morning  that  the 
stage  sets  off,  at  the  several  places  where  the 
stage  puts  up,  and  pay  one-half  of  their  pas- 
sage to  the  place  where  the  first  exchange 
of  passengers  is  made,  if  bound  so  far,  and 
if  not,  one-half  of  their  passage  so  far  as  they 
are  bound. 

"  N.  B.  Way  passengers  will  be  accom- 
modated, when  the  stages  are  not  full,  at  the 
same  rate,  viz.  three  pence  only  per  mile. 

"Said  PEASE  keeps  good  lodging  &C 
for  gentlemen  travellers,  and  stabling  for 
horses." 

Before  he  could  afford  the  high  rents  of 
Boston,  Shrewsbury  was  the  centre  of  all  this 
activity  on  Levi  Pease's  part.  The  Farrar 
Tavern  came  into  his  possession  in  1794  and 
here  he  brought  his  family  to  live.  In  the 
northeast  room  upstairs  the  Free  Masons 
held  their  meetings,  —  according  to  Miss 
Ward's  very  delightful  "  Old  Times  in 
Shrewsbury,"  —  and  the  room  is  still  called 
the  "  Masons'  Room."  Across  the  passage 
is  what  was  formerly  a  dancing  hall  divided 

SO 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

in  the  middle  by  a  swing  partition  which 
could  be  raised  and  lowered  at  pleasure. 
Behind  the  house,  in  its  salad  days,  was  a 
large  open  shed  for  the  protection  of  loaded 
wagons  and,  near-by,  another  shed  contain- 
ing benches  and  chairs  where  the  teamsters 
were  served.  Under  this  shed,  in  the  side  of 
the  house,  slight  holes  were  cut,  one  above 
the  other  to  a  window  in  the  second  story. 
These  holes  were  large  enough  to  hold  on 
by  and  to  admit  the  toe  of  a  man's  boot. 
Thus,  by  dexterous  use  of  hands  and  feet,  the 
men  who  must  rise  at  cock-crow  could  let 
themselves  out  of  the  house  without  disturb- 
ing the  members  of  the  family. 

The  Exchange  Hotel,  still  standing  in 
Worcester  and  still  used  as  a  public  house, 
was  the  Worcester  office  for  Pease's  stage 
line.  Built  in  1784  it  was  originally  owned 
by  Colonel  Reuben  Sykes,  Pease's  partner, 
and  was  called  successively,  the  United  States 
Arms,  Sykes's  Coffee  House,  and  Sykes's 
Stage  House.  Washington  stopped  here  for 
breakfast  in  1789  when,  says  the  chronicler, 
"  he  politely  passed  through  town  on  horse- 
back. He  was  dressed  in  a  brown  suit  and 
pleasure  glowed  in  every  countenance  as  he 
came  along."     Here  it  was,  too,  that  Lafay- 

51 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ette  was  staying  on  that  occasion  when  Cap- 
tain Aaron  Smith  tramped  in  from  Shrews- 
bury and  was  affectionately  embraced  by  his 
old-time  commander. 

In  1799  a  company  was  formed  to  extend 
the  turnpike  from  Worcester  to  Amherst. 
Thus  was  a  new  chain  of  taverns  brought 
into  the  service.  At  Amherst  the  star  house 
of  the  town  was  the  predecessor  on  the  same 
site  of  the  present  Amherst  House.  Ever 
since  1757  there  has  been  a  tavern  on  this 
spot,  the  first  in  the  series  being  kept  by 
David  Parsons.  His  son,  Gideon  Parsons, 
Joel  Dickinson,  Solomon  Boltwood  and  Eli- 
jah Boltwood  were  successively  landlords, 
the  last-named  ranking  for  some  thirty-odd 
years  as  one  of  the  most  genial  publicans  of 
Western  Massachusetts.  The  registers  in  his 
day  bore  the  names  of  many  men  of  national 
and  some  of  international  fame,  while  in 
front  of  the  fire  at  night  sat  doctors  of  divin- 
ity, learned  lawyers,  members  of  the  General 
Court  and  of  Congress.  So  gifted  in  his 
profession  was  "  Uncle  Elijah,"  however, 
that  people  of  every  station  felt  equally  at 
home  under  his  hospitable  roof. 

The  tavern  in  his  day  was  a  two-story 
yellow  building  with  a  tap-room  occupying 

52 


The  Father  of  the  Turnpike 

the  entire  front.  On  the  second  floor  was  a 
ball-room,  arched  overhead  and  extending 
to  the  roof.  Here  dinners  of  ceremony  were 
served  and  old-time  assemblies  held.  From 
a  stout  post  in  front  of  the  house  was  sus- 
pended an  imposing  sign  of  a  lion.  About 
1 82 1,  when  Amherst  College  was  established 
the  wooden  building  was  torn  down  and  a 
handsome  brick  structure  (which  stood  until 
1879)  entertained  travellers  in  its  stead.  In 
1838  Harvey  Rockwood  became  the  propri- 
etor, —  and  the  Boltwood  Tavern  was  super- 
seded by  the  Amherst  House,  —  as  the  stage 
line  had  already  been  superseded  by  the 
railroad. 


53 


CHAPTER  IV 

GUBERNATORIAL  AND  OTHER  TAVERN  JUNKETS 

After  writing  the  title  of  this  chapter  it 
occurred  to  me  to  look  up  the  etymology  of 
"  junket "  and  see  why  the  term  consorts  so 
naturally  with  adjectives  like  ''  gubernato- 
rial," and  "  aldermanic."  I  found  that  the 
noun  was  originally  spelled  juncate,  from  the 
Italian  giuncata,  cheese;  and  that,  from 
denoting  a  cheesecake  in  the  time  of  Johnson 
it  came  to  mean  delicate  food  when  used  by 
Milton  and  to  be  spelled  ]\xnket  and  describe 
"  an  entertainment  by  stealth "  when  em- 
ployed by  Swift.  Now,  though  there  is  no 
evidence  that  the  entertainments  of  which 
this  chapter  is  to  speak  were  conducted  by 
stealth,  it  certainly  is  true  that  a  great  deal 
of  the  patronage  by  which  the  old-time  tav- 
erns waxed  rich  came  in  connection  with 
official  business  and  was  paid  for  by  the 
public  money.  It  is  fairly  clear,  too,  from 
the  protests  one  meets  in  the  pages  of  colonial 

54 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

history,  that  a  disproportionate  amount  was 
often  felt  to  be  spent  upon  these  entertain- 
ments. So  we  will  let  our  title  stand ;  it  may- 
serve  to  illuminate  the  real  character  of  cer- 
tain official  expeditions  even  now  under  way. 

About  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago 
there  was  a  very  famous  junket  from  Boston 
to  the  western  part  of  the  Bay  Province  in 
order  that  the  Council  of  Governor  Jonathan 
Belcher  might  consult  with  the  Indians  of 
that  section.  An  account  of  this  trip  which 
called  itself  "  A  Diary  of  Surpassing  Inter- 
est "  was  published  and  because  the  thing  is 
very  rare  and  shows  that  our  junket  really 
had  in  it  the  elements  of  "  a  stolen  entertain- 
ment "  I  herewith  reproduce  it.  The  tour 
must  have  been  a  great  occasion  at  the  several 
taverns  where  the  official  party  halted  for 
refreshments  and  to  tarry  over  the  night. 
Hardly  a  single  one  of  the  public  houses 
here  referred  to  is  standing  to-day  though 
the  names  of  several  of  the  landlords  will  be 
familiar  to  readers  of  this  book. 

"  On  Wednesday  morning,  August  20th, 
1735,  about  six  o'clock,"  says  the  diary,  "  his 
Excellency,  attended  by  a  number  of  gentle- 
men, set  out  from  Boston  on  a  journey  to 
Deerfield,    about    120    miles.      We    got    to 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Larned's  at  Watertown  i  after  seven,  9  miles. 
Set  out  at  8  for  Sudbury  thro.  Weston,  got 
there  at  \  hour  after  9,  1 1  miles-20-,  Set  out 
again  at  12,  got  to  Colonel  Woods  at  Marl- 
borough J  after  i,  10  miles.  Set  out  at  \ 
after  2,  got  to  Colonel  Ward's  at  Shrews- 
bury, about  4,  10  miles.  Set  out  at  5  to  Col. 
Chandler's  at  Worcester  about  5  miles,  25- 

20 
25 

First  day  45  miles 

"  2 1  St,  Thursday  i  o'clock  P.  M.  set  out  from 
Worcester,  got  to  Leicester  about  28  minutes 
after  2,  6  miles.  Set  out  about  3  for  Brook- 
field,  got  to  a  house  in  Brookfield  about  4, 
8  miles.  Set  out  about  \  hour  after,  got  to 
Col.  Dwights  at  Brookfield  a  little  before  6, 
8  miles. 

6 

8 

8 

Second  day  22  miles. 

"  22nd.  Friday  about  8  set  out  from  Brook- 
field for  Cold  Spring,  got  to  Capta.  Lyman's 
about  \  hour  after  11,  15  miles,  set  out 
about  \  after  2  for  Hadley,  got  there  about 

56 


Gubernatorial  and  other  Tavern  Junkets 


\  after  5,  15  miles, 

got 

to  Col. 

Stoddard's  at 

Northampton  over 

the 

Ferry 

about  Sunset, 

3  miles. 

15 

45 

15 

22 

3 

33 

Third  day  33 

100  miles. 

"  23rd.  Saturday.  Sabbath  Day,  tarry'd  at 
Northampton. 

"  25th.  Monday  morning  about  10  o'clock 
a  clock  set  out  from  Northamton  for  Hat- 
field, got  to  Captain  Williams  about  11,  5 
miles.  Set  out  at  2  for  Deerfield,  got  there 
about  \  after  4.     15  miles,  Monday  20  miles. 

"  26th.  Tuesday  tarry'd  at  Deerfield. 
Deerfield  20  miles. 

"  27th.  Wednesday  at  Deerfield.  There 
was  a  Tent  erected  of  about  100  foot  long, 
where  the  Govr  dined  with  the  rest  of  the 
Gentlemen,  &  where  in  the  afternoon  the 
Tribe  of  the  Caguarogas  (or  French  Mo- 
hawks) was  sent  for,  &  after  the  usual 
Salutation  &  Conference,  they  were  dismist. 

"  28th.  Thursday  at  Deerfield.  The  same 
was  Gone  [through]  to  the  Housetonacks, 
&  to  the  Sattacooks  &  Mohegans  together, 
in  the  forenoon.     In  the  afternoon  the  Mo- 

57 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

hawks  were  sent  for  again,  &  had  a  con- 
ference.    It  lasted  about  an  hour  &  an  half. 

"  29th.  Friday  at  Deerfield.  The  Housa- 
tonnocks  were  sent  for,  &  had  a  conference, 
it  lasted  about  an  hour  &  an  half,  (in  the 
forenoon.)  Then  the  Mohawks  were  sent 
for,  received  their  Presents  after  a  short 
Conference,  &  dined  with  the  Governor  & 
Gentlemen  in  the  Tent.  &  after  Dinner  the 
Govr  took  his  Leave  of  them. 

"  30th.  Saturday  at  Deerfield.  The  Hou- 
satonnocks  were  sent  for  &  after  some  Con- 
ference received  their  Presents,  &  were 
Dismist.  Then  the  Scattacooks  were  sent 
for  &  in  like  manner  received  their  Pres- 
ents, the  Mohegans  received  theirs  after 
Dinner  without  any  further  Conference. 
These  three  Tribes  dined  with  the  Governor. 

"31st.  Sabbath  Day  at  Deerfield.  In  the 
forenoon  the  Revd.  Mr.  Sargent  was  ordained 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Tribe  of  the 
Housetonnock  Indians.  The  Revd  Mr.  Ash- 
ley of  Deerfield  began  with  Prayer,  the  Revd 
Mr.  Appleton  of  Cambridge  preached  2 
Tim:  2:  21.  *  If  a  man  therefore  purge 
himself  from  these  he  shall  be  a  Vessell  unto 
Honour,  sanctified  &  meet  for  the  Master's 
Use  &  prepared  unto  every  good  work.'    The 

58 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

Revd  Mr.  Williams  of  Hatfield  gave  the 
charge,  &  the  Revd  Mr.  Williams  of  Spring- 
field the  right  hand  of  Fellowship.  In  the 
afternoon  the  Rev  Mr.  Williams  of  Spring- 
field preached  from  Is.  ii.,  4:  *  And  he  shall 
judge  among  the  nations  and  shall  rebuke 
many  peoples  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords 
into  ploughshares  &  their  Spears  into  Pru- 
ning Hooks.' 

"  September  ist  Monday  between  11  &  12 
we  set  out  from  Deerfield  for  Fort  Dummer, 
got  their  about  5,  25  miles. 

Monday  25  miles. 
Fort  Dummer  145  miles. 

"  2nd  Tuesday  we  set  out  from  Fort  Dum- 
mer a  little  after  8,  ferried  across  the  River, 
got  to  Ensign  Field's  at  Northfield  about  11, 
13  miles,  set  out  from  thence  about  \  hour 
after  12,  got  to  a  River  where  we  stopt,  about 
2,  10  miles,  set  out  at  \  hour  after,  got  to  Mr. 
Rand's  at  Sunderland  J  after  4,  12  miles,  set 
out  at  5,  got  to  Kelloggs  at  Hadley  Ferry,  \ 
after  6,  10. 

13 

10 

12 

10 

Tuesday  45  miles. 

S9 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"  The  Cover.  &  others  went  over  the  Ferry 
to  Northampton  I  lodged  at  Hadley,  got  to 
Col.  Stoddards  over  the  Ferry  about  8  next 
morning,  3  miles. 

"  3rd  Wednesday  set  out  from  Northamp- 
ton about  9,  got  to  Lieut.  Ingerson's  at  West- 
field  \  hour  after  12,  17  miles.  Set  out  for 
Springfield  about  3,  got  to  Springfield  Ferry 
about  4,  6  miles;  crossed  the  River,  got  to 
Mr.  Sherriff  Marshfield's  \  after  4,  i  mile, 
7  miles. 

7 

Wednesday  24  miles. 

"  4th  Thursday  we  set  out  from  Springfield 
about  ten  o'clock,  got  to  Scots'  at  the  Elbow 
at  I,  15  miles,  set  out  about  \  hour  after  2, 
got  to  Col.  D wight's  at  Brookfield  \  hour 
after  5,  15  miles. 

Thursday  30  miles. 

"  5th  Friday,  we  set  out  from  Brookfield 
about  \  hour  after  7,  got  to  Leicester  about 
\  before  11,  16  miles.    Set  out  about  J  after, 

60 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

got  to  Col.  Chandlers  at  Worcester  about  \ 
after  12,  6  miles. 

16 

6 

22  miles. 

"  set  out  \  hour  after  2,  got  to  Col.  Ward's  at 
Shrewsbury  about  \  before  4,  7  miles,  set  out 
about  \  hour  after  4,  got  to  Col.  Woods  at 
Marlborough   about  6, 

10 
22 
10 

39 
Friday  about  4  miles. 

"  6th  Saturday  we  set  out  from  Marlbor- 
ough \  after  7,  got  to  Sudbury  at  9,  10  mifes; 
set  out  at  II,  got  to  Larned's  at  Watertown  \ 
before  i,  11  miles,  set  out  J  after  2,  got  to 
Boston  at  4,  9  miles. 

10 

II 

9 

Saturday  30  miles." 

There   are   several    places   named    in    the 
61 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

journal  upon  which  it  may  be  well  to 
remark.  The  house  of  Colonel  Dwight  was 
upon  Foster's  Hill  in  Brookfield.  It  was 
purchased,  not  many  years  ago,  by  the  Qua- 
boag  Historical  Society  and  measures  were 
being  taken  to  have  it  put  into  good  repair 
when,  one  night,  it  burned  to  the  ground. 

Governor  Belcher,  in  whose  honour  the 
Cold  Spring  here  referred  to  was  afterwards 
called  Belchertown,  had  been  in  office  several 
years  at  the  time  of  this  junket  and  was  highly 
regarded  by  the  people  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  there  was  some  opposition  to  him  among 
the  so-called  favoured  classes.  In  1742  he 
was  removed  from  his  office  in  Massachu- 
setts but  was  soon  appointed  governor  of  the 
province  of  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  wel- 
comed with  open  arms  and  did  much  to  help 
Jonathan  Edwards,^  —  in  whose  "  Great 
Awakening"  he  had  been  deeply  interested, 
—  put  Princeton  University  on  its  feet.  The 
"  Sabbath  day "  that  the  party  "  tarried  at 
Northampton  "  was  doubtless  spent  in  hear- 
ing Edwards  preach. 

As  for  the  errand  which  occasioned  the 
junket:  it  had  to  do  with  a  very  real  griev- 
ance of  the  Indians.     Land  speculators  were 

*  See  « Romance  of  Old  New  England  Churches." 
62 


^^ 

i^ 

wt 

-'■li 

wl^^^ 

Ik.-^!^  "^^W^ 

i^iir3%- '  ■ 

DWIGHT  HOUSE,  BROOKFIELD 


FRARY  HOUSE,  DEERFIELD 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

crowding  them  close  and  there  was  need  that 
a  judicial-minded  body  should  listen  to  their 
story  and  do  what  they  could  to  adjust 
matters. 

Almost  forty  years  earlier  another  famous 
case  had  been  tried  in  this  very  locality  by 
a  junketing  party  from  Boston.  The  house 
with  which  that  trip  is  associated  was  later 
a  tavern  and,  fortunately  for  us,  is  still  stand- 
ing. It  is  called  the  Frary  House  and  is  now 
owned  by  Miss  C.  Alice  Baker,  a  descendant 
of  Samson  Frary,  whose  name  the  place 
bears. 

The  older  part  of  the  Frary  House  was 
built  in  1689,  the  other  half  being  added  in 
1748  when  the  whole  house  was  used  as  a 
tavern.  The  spacious  dancing  hall  of  the 
place,  which  is  thirty-three  feet  long  and 
proportionately  wide,  was  the  scene  of  many 
a  festive  gathering  in  those  tavern  days  and 
its  spring  floor  still  responds,  at  Miss  Baker's 
private  parties,  to  the  impetus  of  the  "  light 
fantastic  toe."  Gaiety  had  no  share,  how- 
ever, in  the  visit  of  officials  that  now  concerns 

U9. 

Back  in  the  earliest  days  of  the  house  it 
was  the  home  of  some  simple  people  in  whose 
family  there  lived  a  young  serving-woman, 

63 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Sarah  Smith.  Through  this  young  woman 
the  place  is  associated  with  one  of  those 
horrible  child-murders  occasionally  to  be 
found  in  New  England  history. 

Though  Sarah  Smith  pleaded  not  guilty 
to  the  charge  of  murdering  her  illegitimate 
baby  the  jury  of  twelve  men,  —  Joseph  Par- 
sons, foreman,  —  decided  against  her  and, 
Justice  Winthrop  having  condemned  her  to 
hang  on  the  following  Thursday,  such  pun- 
ishment was  duly  meted  out  to  her.  In 
accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  times  Rev. 
John  Williams  preached  a  sermon  before  her 
on  the  day  of  the  execution.  But  his  words 
appear  to  have  made  no  very  profound  inx- 
pression  upon  her,  for  her  ghost  is  said  to 
have  long  haunted  the  house  in  which  she 
committed  her  crime.  Up  to  forty  years  ago 
it  appeared  with  remarkable  regularity,  I 
am  told. 

Possibly,  however,  the  apparition  con- 
nected with  the  place  really  owes  its  origin 
to  some  unrecorded  crime  done  during  the 
days  when  the  house  was  a  tavern.  Certainly 
the  place  has  age  enough  to  have  survived 
several  murders. 

Its  first  Boniface  was  Salah  Barnard  who 
in    1763   bought   it   from   David   Arms    for 

64 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

£175.  His  son  Erastus  was  a  tavern  keeper 
also,  pursuing  this  business  until  18 15.  Miss 
Baker  bought  the  estate  May  24,  1890  and 
had  the  old  house  thoroughly  restored.  It 
enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest 
house  in  Deerfield. 

Governor  Endicott^s  peregrinations  v^ere 
most  laudably  free  from  extravagance.  The 
bills  presented  on  his  account  by  Joseph 
Armitage,  who  kept  the  tavern  just  half-way 
between  Boston  and  Salem  and  therefore 
came  in  for  considerable  patronage  from  per- 
sons having  business  before  the  Courts  of 
Essex  County,  were  always  modest.  "  From 
the  Court  of  election  1651  till  the  end  of 
October  1651  the  governers  Expenses"  were: 

**  to  beare  and  cacks  6  d 
beare  &  cacks  to  himself  and  some  other 

gentlemen  I  s   2  d 

beare  and  cacks  with  Mr.  Downing  i  s  6  d 

beare  &  a  cack  6  d 


3s8d 


The  lesser  lights  in  the  official  train  were 
not  so  abstemious  for  during  the  same  period 
they  ran  up  a  bill  for  a  considerably  larger 
amount. 

6s 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"  to  the  Sargeants  from  the  end  of  the 
Court  of  elections  1651  till  the  end  of  Oc- 
tober 1 65 1. 

bear  and  cacks  I  s  2  d 

for  vitalls  beare  and  logen  5  s 

to  Benjamin  Scarlet  the  Governors  man  8  d 

bear  &  vittells  2S 

to  the  Sargents  i  s  9  d 

beear  &  cacks  i  s 
to  a  man  that  Carried  a  letter  to  warne 

a  Court  about  the  dutchmen  i  s  6  d 

to  the  Sargeants  i  s  2  d 


14s  3d 


These  bills  were  ordered  to  be  paid  in  the 
following  form: 

"  Mr.  Auditer  I  pray  you  give  a  note  to 
Mr.  Treasurer  for  the  payment  of  17s  iid 
according  to  these  two  bills  of  Joseph  Armi- 
tage.    Date  the  7th  of  the  iimo  1651. 

Jo  Endicott." 

But  these  gubernatorial  and  other  junkets 
were  not  always  promptly  paid  for  and  this 
fact  accounts  for  the  preservation  of  many 
old-time   tavern   bills   that,   in   the  ordinary 

66 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

course  of  things,  would  have  perished  long 
ago.  Armitage,  for  instance,  had  been  for 
some  years  retired  from  the  duties  of  tavern- 
keeper,  when  being  in  money  difficulties,  he 
attempted  to  collect  a  bill  long  overdue  in 
the  following  petition: 

"  To  the  Honered  Court  now  sitting  at 
Salem:  The  Humble  pitition  of  Joseph 
Armitage,  Humbly  sheweth  that  in  the  time 
that  I  kept  Ordinary  there  was  some  expences 
at  my  Hows  by  some  of  the  Honored  magis- 
trates &  Deputys  of  this  County  as  apears  by 
the  bills  charged  upon  the  Auditer  Generall, 
which  I  never  Receaved. 

"  Therefor  your  Humbell  petticionir  doth 
humbly  request  this  Court  that  they  would 
give  me  an  order  to  the  County  Treasurer 
for  my  pay  &  so  your  poure  petitioner  shall 
ever  pray  for  your  prosperity 

Joseph  Armitage/' 

Armitage's  previous  calling,  —  that  of  a 
tailor,  —  ought  to  have  given  him  wide  expe- 
rience in  collecting  bad  debts,  but  evidently 
he  had  not  profited  by  the  teachings  of  adver- 
sity for  he  was  continually  involved  in  pecu- 
niary difficulties.    His  successor  at  this  Lynn 

67 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"Anchor'*  was  much  more  prosperous; 
though  he  made  his  house  popular  he  col- 
lected money  owed  him  and  for  forty  years 
flourished  as  a  tavern-keeper,  —  and  other- 
wise. Thomas  Marshall,  for  so  this  func- 
tionary was  named,  arrived  in  Lynn  from 
London  in  the  latter  part  of  1635  and,  soon 
after,  became  a  freeman  of  the  colony.  When 
Cromwell  went  into  the  business  of  saving 
England,  Marshall  felt  a  call  to  help  him, 
and  returning  to  the  mother  country  sat  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  Lord  Protector,  —  if 
his  own  statements  can  be  relied  upon.  At 
any  rate  he  had  a  "  captain  "  before  his  name 
and  the  lustre  of  military  glory  all  over  it 
when  he  came  back  to  Lynn  after  the  war, 
eager  to  discuss  with  any  traveller  who  would 
listen  to  him,  his  experiences  while  with 
Oliver.  John  Dunton  promised  to  be  a  good 
victim  when  he  passed  that  way  in  1686,  but 
Captain  Marshall  did  not  succeed  in  holding 
him  long.  If  there  was  boasting  to  be  done 
Dunton  wanted  to  do  it  himself.  He  has 
left  us  this  account  of  his  call  at  the  Anchor: 
"  About  two  of  the  clock  I  reached  Capt. 
Marshall's  house  which  is  half-way  between 
Boston  and  Salem;  here  I  staid  to  refresh 
nature  with  a  pint  of  sack  and  a  good  fowl. 

68 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

Capt.  Marshall  is  a  hearty  old  gentleman, 
formerly  one  of  Oliver's  soldiers,  upon  which 
he  very  much  values  himself.  He  had  all  the 
history  of  the  civil  war  at  his  fingers  end 
and  if  we  may  believe  him  Oliver  did  hardly 
anything  that  was  considerable  without  his 
assistance,  and  if  Fd  have  staid  as  long  as 
he'd  have  talked,  he'd  have  spoiled  my  ram- 
ble at  Salem." 

Executions  were  great  junket  occasions  at 
the  old-time  tavern  for  the  gallows  often 
stood  very  near  the  public  house  and  our 
Puritan  forbears  had  no  qualms  about  send- 
ing to  "  everlasting  punishment "  one  who 
had  been  proved  guilty  of  crime.  Apropos 
of  the  grewsome  structure  near  what  was 
long  known  as  Porter's  Tavern,  Cambridge, 
one  satiric  rhymster  wrote: 

"  Cambridge  is  a  famous  town. 
Both  for  wit  and  knowledge, 
Some  they  whip  and  some  they  hang, 
And  some  they  send  to  college." 

An  especially  gala  day  in  the  University 
City  was  September  i8,  1755,  thus  cheerfully 
described  by  a  Boston  gentleman  who  had 
just  seen   a   negro   woman   burnt   for   com- 

69 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

plicity  in  the  murder  of  her  master:  "  Exe- 
cution day  a  clear  but  for  the  time  of  year  a 
Cold  day  about  i  o'clock  sat  out  for  Cam- 
bridge saw  ye  execution  Mark  hanged  and 
Phillis  burnt  then  to  Bradishes,  &  then  to 
morses  drank  some  punch  with  Mr.  Moreley 
Tom  Leverett  Mr.  Cooper  Tom  foxcroft 
Ned  Emerson  &  others  &  walked  down  with 
Jonathan  Bradish  and  then  to  mr.  Moreleys 
house  tarried  till  ten  supped  &  refreshed 
nature  sufficiently  and  then  w^ent  home  and 
went  to  bed  &  slept  woke  up  very  finely 
refreshed."  The  sermon  that  accompanied 
this  occasion  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Appleton  on  the  appropriate  text  "The  Way 
of  the  Transgressor  is  Hard." 

Those  old-time  clergymen  were  so  exas- 
peratingly  sure  they  were  right!  Nor  did 
they  make  fine  distinctions.  To  us  of  today 
it  is  almost  inconceivable  that  Rev.  Dr.  Ezra 
Stiles  could  have  written  in  the  margin  of  his 
almanack  for  the  year  1789,  against  the  date 
February  13,  "  General  Ethan  Allen  of  Ver- 
mont died  and  went  to  Hell  this  day "  — 
but  there  it  stands.  And  this  because  a 
patriot  of  the  highest  integrity  was  a  free- 
thinker! Allen  and  his  men,  by  the  bye, 
made  their  headquarters  at  the  "  Catamount " 

70 


Gubernatorial  and  Other  Tavern  Junkets 

tavern,  Bennington,  Vermont.  One  of  the 
rooms  in  this  hostelry,  which  stood  until 
1871,  was  designated  as  the  "council  room." 
Here  the  brave  band  of  Green  Mountain 
Boys  laid  their  plans  for  the  capture  of 
Ticonderoga  and  drank  good  New  England 
rum  the  while.  The  old  tavern  account-book 
bearing  Ethan  Allen's  unbalanced  score  is 
still  preserved. 

Auctions  of  human  beings  and  public 
whippings  were  other  junket  occasions  at  the 
New  England  tavern.  Criminals  and  pau- 
pers were  both  sold  here  the  former  to  the 
highest  bidder,  the  latter  to  the  lowest;  and 
lashes  on  the  bared  back  were  administered 
with  neatness  and  dispatch.  At  Israel  Clif- 
ford's tavern  in  Dunbarton,  New  Hamp- 
shire, one  Gould,  a  sheep-thief,  was  sold  at 
public  auction  for  "  damages  and  costs," 
taxed  at  £2-12-10  after  having  been  vigor- 
ously "  whipped  thirteen  stripes  by  Archi- 
bald Stark,  Constable." 

None  of  the  many  junkets  with  which  we 
have  had  to  do  seems  to  me  so  revolting 
however  as  those  which  attended  the  sale  of 
paupers.  In  the  town  of  Wareham,  on  Buz- 
zard's Bay,  at  the  tavern  of  Benjamin  Fear- 
ing such  events  frequently  took  place  if  we 

71 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

may  trust  Bliss's  "  Colonial  Times  on  Buz- 
zard's Bay."  The  sales  were  made,  this 
writer  tells  us,  in  the  tap-room  of  the  inn, 
"  where  the  landlord  as  he  served  the  thirsty 
guests  from  his  decanters,  discussed  with 
them  the  value  of  the  services  of  the  paupers, 
for  whose  keeping  they  had  come  to  bid. 
The  town  records  bear  ugly  testimony  to  the 
truth  of  this  in  the  following  words:  "  Jurned 
from  the  meeting  house  down  to  Benjamin 
Fearings  house  to  vandue  the  poor."  I  hope 
I  am  right  in  saying  that  this  revolting  cus- 
tom has  quite  passed  away  in  New  England 
though  in  Pike  County,  Pennsylvania,  only 
eight  years  ago,  signs  were  posted,  "  A 
Woman  for  Sale  "  and  Mrs.  Elmira  Quick, 
seventy-seven  years  old,  was  put  up,  in 
Rutan's  Hotel,  "  to  be  sold  to  the  lowest 
bidder  for  keep  for  a  year "  while  men 
clinked  glasses  in  the  bar-room.^ 

""Stage  Coach  and  Tavern  Days,"  p,  221. 


72 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  INNS  OF  OLD  BOSTON 

When  John  Dunton,  the  voluble  London 
bookseller  whose  praise  of  Ipswich  fare  we 
shall  later  encounter,  took  his  pen  in  hand 
to  describe  a  Boston  landlord  the  result  was 
as  follows:  "He  is  a  person  so  remarkable 
that  had  I  not  been  acquainted  with  him  it 
would  be  a  hard  matter  to  make  any  New 
England  man  believe  that  I  had  been  in 
Boston;  for  there  was  no  house  in  all  the 
town  more  noted,  or  where  a  man  might 
meet  with  better  accommodation.  Besides 
he  was  a  brisk  and  jolly  man  whose  con- 
versation was  coveted  by  all  his  guests  as 
the  life  and  spirit  of  the  company." 

The  date  of  this  paragraph  is  1686  and 
the  man  who  inspired  it  was  George  Monk, 
host  of  the  "  Blew  Anchor,"  which  used  to 
flourish  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
Globe  newspaper  buildings  and  which,  in 
early  times,  divided  with  the  State's  Arms 

73 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

the  magisterial  patronage  of  the  town. 
Robert  Turner  had  been  an  earlier  landlord 
here  and  Savage  has  preserved  for  us  one 
record  of  entertainment  during  his  day  which 
is  decidedly  interesting;  he  tells  us  that  ''  at 
the  sign  of  the  Blue  Anchor  Turner  fur- 
nished lodgings  and  refreshments  to  members 
of  the  government,  to  juries,  and  to  the 
clergy,  when  summoned  into  synod  by  our 
general  court."  That  the  law-makers  did 
not  stint  themselves  at  the  Anchor  we  are 
persuaded  after  seeing  an  old  bill  of  an  elec- 
tion banquet  when  two  hundred  and  four 
diners  consumed  72  bottles  of  Madeira,  28 
of  Lisbon,  17  of  port,  10  of  claret,  18  of 
porter  and  50  "  double-bowls  "  of  punch,  in 
addition  to  unspecified  cider. 

This  inn  was  one  of  the  most  popular  of 
the  seventeenth  century  hostelries,  but  it  was 
neither  the  oldest  nor  the  most  famous  of  the 
Boston  taverns  of  that  day.  Cole's,  licensed 
in  1634,  antedates  it  by  several  years  and  was 
the  first  house  of  entertainment  in  the  New 
England  metropolis.  It  probably  stood  near 
the  site  well  known  to  us  today  as  the  "  Old 
Corner  "  of  "  Bookstore  "  fame.  Here  Sam- 
uel Cole,  who  is  classified  as  a  "  comfit- 
maker,"  saw  to  the  comfort  of  Miantonomoh 

74 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

when  he  and  his  dusky  retinue  visited  Gov- 
ernor Vane  in  1636  and  here  too,  the  Earl  of 
Marlborough  took  up  his  residence  when  he 
came  over  to  Boston  on  colonial  business. 
Winthrop  had  urged  his  Lordship  to  accept 
the  hospitality  of  the  Governor's  mansion 
but  the  haughty  nobleman  assured  him  that 
the  house  wherein  he  v^as  staying  was 
^*  exceedingly  well-governed  "  and  intimated 
that  he  would,  therefore,  remain  where  he 
was. 

The  distinguishing  name  of  the  second 
ordinary  started  in  Boston  cannot  be  given, 
but  we  know  that  its  landlord  was  William 
Hudson,  senior,  that  his  license  was  issued 
in  1640,  and  that  his  previous  occupation  had 
been  that  of  a  baker.  His  name  is  on  the 
list  of  those  who  were  admitted  freemen  of 
the  Colony  in  May,  1631,  and  we  find  him 
repeatedly  noted  as  active  in  the  town's 
affairs.  His  house  was  on  the  site  afterwards 
given  over  to  the  '^  Bunch  of  Grapes,"  of 
which  there  will  be  much  to  say  a  few  pages 
further   on. 

A  very  celebrated  house  of  this  period 
was  that  called  the  King's  Arms,  and  kept  by 
Hugh  Gunnison  at  the  head  of  what  is  now 
Adams    (Dock)    Square.      The    date    when 

75 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Gunnison  was  first  allowed  to  "  sell  beer^'  is 
1642,  and  as  he  is  then  spoken  of  as  one  who 
keeps  a  ''  cooke's  shop  "  it  is  plain  that  he 
must  have  begun  very  early  to  serve  the 
public  at  this  stand.  In  1643  we  find  him 
humbly  praying  the  court  for  leave  '^  to  draw 
the  wryne  which  was  spent  in  his  house," 
explaining  his  reasonable  request  by  saying 
that  he  felt  it  to  be  unfair  as  he  knew  it  to 
be  unprofitable  to  care  for  people  who  had 
purchased  their  liquor  elsewhere.  He  asks 
this  favour  in  order  that  "  God  be  not  dis- 
honored nor  his  people  grieved."  With  the 
coming  in  of  Puritan  rule  in  England,  Gun- 
nison diplomatically  changed  the  name  of 
his  inn  from  the  ''  King's  Arms "  to  the 
^'State's  Arms;"  when  the  Stuarts  were 
restored  the  house  resumed  its  old  insignia. 

A  rival  and  a  near  neighbour  of  Gunni- 
son's was  William  Hudson,  Junior,  whose 
house  was  at  what  is  now  the  upper  cor- 
ner of  Elm  and  Washington  streets.  He, 
too,  was  influenced  by  the  coming  in  of 
Cromwell,  though  not  in  quite  the  same  way 
as  Gunnison.  He,  "  with  divers  other  of  our 
best  military  men  "  crossed  the  ocean  to  take 
service  in  the  Parliamentary  forces,  leaving 
the  inn  to  the  care  of  his  wife.     When  he 

76 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

returned,  after  an  absence  of  two  years,  it 
was  to  find  her  publicly  accused  of  having 
been  unfaithful  to  her  marriage  vows.  Very 
likely  some  of  the  many  sailors  who  fre- 
quented the  house  had  stolen  her  heart  away. 
For  Dock  Square  was  then  what  its  name 
would  indicate,  the  centre  of  the  city's  trans- 
portation. At  high  tide  the  water  came 
nearly  up  to  the  houses  here  and  from 
Hudson's  to  the  dock  below  was  but  a  stone's 
throw. 

The  most  convenient  inn  for  those  who 
drew  their  wealth  from  the  sea  was,  however, 
Ship  Tavern,  which  stood  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  what  are  now  North  and 
Clark  streets.  It  was  a  brick  building  with 
a  projecting  second  story  and  the  date  of  its 
erection  was  surely  as  early  as  1650.  Thomas 
Hutchinson,  father  of  the  Governor,  was 
some  time  its  landlord,  and  in  1663  John 
Vyal  presided  over  its  destinies.  Here  King 
Charles's  commissioners  lodged  when  they 
came  to  America  "  to  settle  all  disputes  ari- 
sing in  the  New  England  colony."  In  the 
course  of  their  business,  —  and  as  a  result 
of  too  liberal  indulgence  in  Master  Vyal's 
"best,"  —  one  of  them,  Sir  Robert  Carr, 
assaulted  a  constable  in  the  public  room  of 

77 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

the  house  and  found  a  fresh  dispute  on  his 
hands.  He  was  immediately  summoned  by 
Governor  Leverett  to  come  to  his  house  and 
answer  the  complaint  lodged  against  him! 
Sir  Robert  Carr,  however,  was  a  resourceful 
gentleman;  moreover,  he  remembered  very 
well  Leverett's  affront  to  the  commissioners 
in  keeping  his  hat  on  his  head  when  their 
authority  to  act  was  being  read  to  the  coun- 
cil. Very  wiell,  too,  he  knew  that  Leverett, 
who  had  served  under  Cromwell,  would 
find  as  wormwood  a  flaunting  of  Stuart 
authority.  So,  with  manifest  joy,  he  replied 
to  the  summons  as  follows:  "  Sr,  Yors  I 
receyved  last  night  in  answer  to  wh  as  I  am 
Sr  Robert  Carr  I  would  have  complied  with 
yor  desyres,  but  as  I  am  wth  ye  Kyng's  Com- 
mision,  I  shal  not  grant  yor  requests,  both 
in  respect  of  his  Majestyes  honor  and  my 
oune  duty."  Yet  with  all  his  insistence 
upon  royal  authority  he  could  not  make  the 
colonists  come  around.  His  commission 
issued  endless  proclamations  from  the  Ship 
Tavern  and  sounded  trumpets  without  cease ; 
but  Boston  folk  went  quietly  on  their  way, 
unconscious,  as  it  seemed,  of  the  trouble  they 
were  making  for  themselves  by  refusing  to 
be  subdued. 

78 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

Characteristically,  they  persecuted  in  their 
turn.  Nicholas  Upshall,  the  noble  Quaker 
who  kept  the  Red  Lion  in  North  street,  they 
threw  into  jail  for  his  outspoken  condemna- 
tion of  the  rigour  with  which  the  authorities 
were  dealing  with  his  sect.  Upshall  had 
come  to  New  England  on  the  Mary  and 
John  of  Winthrop's  fleet  but  he  was  very 
soon  in  durance,  and  eventually  he  was  ban- 
ished for  having  attempted  to  get  food  to 
two  Quakeresses  who  were  starving  in  Bos- 
ton's jail.  Prison  treatment  broke  his  health 
and  he  died  as  a  result  of  it.  Probably  he  is 
the  only  Boniface  we  shall  meet  who  suffered 
death  for  conscience'  sake. 

With  the  birth  of  the  Royal  Exchange, 
which  stood  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Exchange  and  State  streets,  came  the  dawn 
of  that  brilliant  pre-Revolutionary  Boston 
dear  to  writers  of  romance.  By  171 1  the 
business  of  entertainment  was  being  carried 
on  here  but  it  was  not  until  fifteen  years 
later,  when  Luke  Vardy  had  become  land- 
lord, that  the  place  took  on  the  colour  which 
has  made  it  famous.  It  was  then  the  resort 
of  all  the  young  bloods  of  the  town,  who, 
brave  in  velvets  and  ruffles,  in  powdered 
hair  and  periwigs,  swore  by  the  king  and 

79 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

drank  deep  draughts  of  life  and  liquor. 
From  this  inn,  Benjamin  Woodbridge  and 
Henry  Phillips,  both  scions  of  Boston's  first 
families,  adjourned  to  the  Common  in  1728 
to  fight  a  duel.  Woodbridge  had  made  a 
slighting  remark  about  a  friend  of  Phillips, 
and  the  latter  had  thrown  the  contents  of 
his  wine-glass  in  the  insultant's  face.  Nothing 
but  the  death  of  one  or  both  could  wipe  out 
this  score.  So  it  came  about  that,  soon 
after  sunrise  the  next  morning,  young  Wood- 
bridge  was  found  lying  dead  among  the  wet 
grasses  of  the  community  cow-pasture  as  the 
price  of  his  careless  words.  Phillips  es- 
caped on  a  man-of-war  which  was  just 
weighing  anchor.  The  immediate  outcome 
of  this  crime  was  the  enactment  of  a  law 
whereby  the  convicted  offender  in  a  duel 
was  "  to  be  carried  publicly  in  a  cart  to  the 
gallows,  with  a  rope  about  his  neck,  and  set 
on  the  gallows  an  hour;  then  to  be  impris- 
oned twelve  hours  without  bail,"  and  finally 
executed.  The  person  killed  in  a  duel  was 
denied  "  Christian  burial "  and  interred 
"  near  the  usual  place  of  execution  with  a 
stake  drove  through  his  body." 

British  officers  were  very  fond  of  patroniz- 
ing the  Royal  Exchange,  —  perhaps  because 

80 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

its  high-sounding  name  appealed  to  their 
aristocratic  fancy,  —  and  an  engaging  story 
associated  with  the  house  is  that  of  the  instant 
capitulation  here  of  Captain  Ponsonby 
Molesworth,  a  nephew  of  Lord  Ponsonby,  to 
the  charms  of  Susanna  Sheaffe,  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  the  Deputy.  The  youth  was  marching 
with  his  soldiery,  resplendent  in  the  red 
uniform  of  His  Majesty's  service.  The 
maiden  happened  to  be  within  the  house  and, 
attracted  by  the  music,  stepped  to  the  bal- 
cony. At  once  Molesworth  saw  her  and  was 
captivated  by  her  beauty.  Pointing  her  out 
to  a  brother  officer  he  exclaimed,  "Jove! 
That  girl  seals  my  fate!"  Apparently  he 
felt  quite  sure  that  Susanna  would  find  him 
irresistible  and  such  proved  to  be  the  case; 
they  were  married  almost  at  once. 

Vardy's  was  a  favourite  resort  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  also,  mine  host  being  a 
brother  of  the  order.  At  one  of  their  fes- 
tivals Joseph  Green  thus  apostrophized  him: 

"  Where's  honest  Luke,  that  cook  from  London  ? 
For  without  Luke  the  Lodge  is  undone. 
'Twas  he  who  oft  dispelled  their  sadness, 
And  filled  the  Brethren's  hearts  with  gladness. 
Luke  in  return  is  made  a  brother 
As  good  and  true  as  any  other, 
8i 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

And  still  though  broke  with  age  and  wine, 
Preserves  the  token  and  the  sign." 

It  was  in  front  of  this  house  that  there 
occurred  on  March  5,  1770,  the  ^^  famous 
Boston  Massacre."  As  to  just  how  the 
trouble  began  or  what  were  the  exact  cir- 
cumstances attending  it  accounts  do  not 
agree.  The  reports  made  at  the  town-meet- 
ings in  Faneuil  Hall  and  the  old  South 
Church  conflict  with  those  written  at  the 
time;  and  at  the  trial  (at  the  October  term 
following)  of  Captain  Preston,  the  com- 
mander of  the  troops,  and  the  soldiers  impli- 
cated in  the  massacre,  the  testimony  was  such 
that  they  were  acquitted.  What  we  do  know, 
however,  is  that  a  chance  collision  between 
a  sentry  and  some  youths  quickly  developed 
into  an  attack  with  stones,  clubs,  snow-balls 
and  other  missiles  upon  the  guard  of  British 
soldiers,  and  that  five  individuals  were  killed 
and  several  were  slightly  injured  as  a  result. 
The  story  goes  that  the  sentinel  was  first 
attacked,  as  he  stood  guarding  the  Custom 
House  where  the  king's  treasure  was  depos- 
ited, and  that,  retreating  up  the  steps  as  far 
as  he  could,  he  loaded  his  gun,  shouting 
lustily  the  while  for  help.     Then  the  cor- 

82 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

poral  and  six  privates  of  the  main  guard  who 
were  stationed  on  what  is  now  State  street, 
opposite  the  door  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Town  House,  came  to  his  relief.  It  was 
alleged  that  they  did  not  fire  upon  the  crowd 
until  they  were  themselves  first  attacked. 
However  that  may  be,  the  first  blood  of  the 
Revolution  was  then  shed.  Thus  it  comes 
about  that  the  Royal  Exchange  is  shown  in 
the  background  of  Revere's  well-known  pic- 
ture of  the  Boston  Massacre  and  so  may  be 
classed,  almost  in  spite  of  itself,  among  the 
important   Revolutionary   taverns. 

A  Boston  inn  with  an  incontestable  right 
to  this  appellation  was  the  Liberty  Tree  Tav- 
ern which  stood  on  the  east  side  of  Wash- 
ington street,  between  Essex  and  Beach 
streets.  The  "  Book  of  Possessions "  tells  us 
that  in  1635  this  plot  of  ground  was  appor- 
tioned to  Garrett  Bourne  for  a  house  and 
garden.  The  year  following  Bourne  became 
a  freeman,  built  his  house  and  took  posses- 
sion. He  set  out  a  variety  of  shade  trees 
about  his  house,  many  of  which  were  elms. 
In  1646,  he  transplanted  an  elm  selected  on 
account  of  its  shape  and  vigour,  a  little  dis- 
tance northwest  of  his  house.  Garrett  Bourne 
"  built   and   planted  better  than  he  knew.'* 

83 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

In  about  a  century  the  house  became  noted 
as  a  tavern,  and  a  little  later  on,  as  the  meet- 
ing-place of  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  In  about 
the  same  time  that  transplanted  elm  became 
famous  as  the  Liberty  Tree,  as  the  Sons  of 
Liberty  used  to  rally  under  its  wide-spread- 
ing branches.  It  was  under  this  tree  that 
the  first  public  act  of  resistance  to  British 
tyranny  showed  itself.  At  dawn,  on  the  14th 
of  August,  1765,  an  effigy  of  Andrew  Oliver, 
the  stamp  officer,  was  discovered  hanging  to 
one  of  the  larger  branches,  which  caused 
great  excitement.  The  sheriff  was  ordered 
by  the  colonial  Governor  Hutchinson  to 
remove  the  effigy  from  the  tree.  But  such 
was  the  intensity  of  public  feeling,  he 
declared  he  dare  not  do  so.  It  was  creating 
a  local  revolution,  and  was  removed  by 
stratagem.  The  tree  became  famous  about 
1760,  and  was  named  the  Liberty  Tree  about 
this  time.  On  Feb.  14,  1766,  it  was  pruned 
by  the  order  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty. 

The  ground  about  the  tree  had  become 
sacred  soil,  and  was  designated  as  Liberty 
Hall,  and  really  became  the  original  stamp- 
ing ground  of  the  Revolution,  in  defiance  of 
the  "  stamp  act."  In  1767  a  flagstaff  was 
erected,  which  went  up  through  the  branches, 

84 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

upon  which  was  hoisted  a  flag  as  a  signal 
for  the  assembling  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty. 
In  August,  1775,  the  Tories,  encouraged  by 
their  British  allies,  and  led  on  by  one  Job 
Williams,  armed  with  axes,  made  a  furious 
attack  upon  the  Liberty  Tree,  and  it  was 
ruthlessly  cut  down.  This  vandal  act  caused 
great  excitement.  At  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lution a  liberty  pole  was  erected  on  the  stump 
of  the  old  tree  which  long  served  as  a  point 
of  direction.  This  pole  having  served  dur- 
ing the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  and 
having  gone  into  decay,  another  one  was 
erected  about  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Lafayette  as  the  guest  of  the  nation  in 
1824.  The  modern  brick  building  now  on 
this  site  has  embedded  in  its  front  wall  a 
tablet  with  a  Liberty  Tree  in  bas-relief. 

Of  other  famous  Revolutionary  inns  there 
were,  of  course,  several  in  Boston.  The  old- 
est of  these  was  the  Bunch  of  Grapes  which 
goes  back  to  171 2,  if  not  earlier.  The  first 
landlord  here  of  whom  we  know  was  Francis 
Holmes,  and  after  him  came  William  Coffin 
in  173 1,  Joshua  Barker  in  1749,  Colonel 
Ingersoll  in  1764,  John  Marston  in  1767, 
William  Foster  in  1782  and  James  Vila  in 
1789.  Upon  the  arrival  of  Governor  William 

8s 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Burnett  in  1728,  he  was  escorted  from  the 
Neck  to  the  Bunch  of  Grapes  by  a  large  body 
of  enthusiastic  citizens,  headed  by  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, the  Council,  and  Colonel 
Dudley's  regiments.  Burnett  had  in  his 
train  also  a  tutor,  a  black  laundress,  a  stew- 
ard and  a  French  cook  upon  whom,  as  we 
may  readily  believe,  the  Bostonians  gazed 
with  no  little  wonder. 

Governor  Pownall  is  another  of  the  colo- 
nial grandees  who  frequented  the  house  in  its 
earlier  days.  There  is  a  pleasant  story  of 
a  kiss  which  he  once  delivered  standing  on  a 
chair  there.  Pownall  was  a  short,  corpulent 
person  but  a  great  ladies'  man,  and  it  was 
his  habit  to  salute  every  woman  to  whom  he 
was  introduced  with  a  sounding  smack  upon 
the  cheek.  One  day  a  tall  dame  was  pre- 
sented and  he  requested  her  to  stoop  to  meet 
his  proffered  courtesy.  "  Nay,  I'll  stoop  to 
no  man,  —  not  even  to  your  Excellency," 
exclaimed  the  Amazon,  with  a  haughty  toss 
of  her  head.  "  Then  I'll  stoop  to  you, 
madam,"  readily  retorted  the  gallant  Gov- 
ernor, and  springing  to  a  chair  beside  her 
he  bent  over  to  do  his  obeisance. 

A  less  ingratiating  visitor  to  the  inn  was 
Sir  William  Phips  who  once  threatened  to 

86 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

thrash  the  landlord  for  some  fancied  slight. 
He  could  have  done  it,  too,  for  he  was  a 
man  of  Herculean  strength  and  his  caning  of 
Captain  Short  of  the  Nonesuch  frigate  and 
his  assaults  on  the  Collector  of  the  Port  Bren- 
ton  left  their  mark  upon  the  victims  as  well 
as  upon  history.  When  the  voting  in  the 
General  Court  was  proceeding  in  a  way 
which  did  not  please  him  he  sometimes 
rushed  into  the  chamber  cane  in  hand  and 
drove  his  opponents  from  their  places!  One 
writer^  has  given  us  a  very  vivid  picture  of 
him  sitting  at  his  window  in  the  Bunch  of 
Grapes,  which  no  one  else  dared  approach, 
and  glaring  out  at  the  pedestrians  on  King 
(now  State)    street. 

Much  of  interest  was  to  be  seen  from  that 
window,  for  the  street  was  filled  with 
"  horses,  donkeys,  oxen  and  long-tailed 
trucks,  and  a  sprinkling  of  one-horse  chaises 
and  coaches  of  the  kind  seen  in  Hogarth's 
realistic  pictures  of  London  life.  And  to 
these,"  adds  Samuel  Adams  Drake,  who  has 
written  delightfully  of  old  Boston  Taverns  as 
of  most  other  colonial  subjects,  "  should  be 
added  the  chimney-sweeps,  wood-sawyers, 
market-women,  soldiers  and  sailors,  who  are 

*  Frederick  Walter  Norcross  in  the  New  England  Magaane. 

87 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

now  quite  as  much  out  of  date  as  the  vehicles 
themselves  are.  As  there  were  no  sidewalks, 
the  narrow  footway  was  protected,  here  and 
there,  sometimes  by  posts,  sometimes  by  an 
old  cannon  set  upright  at  the  corners."  Thus 
the  traveller  coming  to  the  Bunch  of  Grapes 
could  alight  from  his  horse,  coach  or  chaise 
at  the  inn's  very  threshold,  directly  under 
the  gilded  cluster  of  suggestive  fruit  which 
dangled  temptingly  over  the  doorway  of  the 
inn. 

One  of  these  bunches  of  grapes  now  hangs 
in  front  of  the  lodge-room  door  of  St.  John's 
Lodge  in  the  Masonic  Temple,  Boston,  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  it  was  in  the  tavern 
they  originally  adorned  that  St.  John's  Lodge, 
the  first  Masonic  lodge  in  America,  was 
organized  July  30,  1733  by  Henry  Price,  a 
Boston  tailor,  who  had  received  authority 
from  Lord  Montague.  The  house  lived  up 
to  its  sign,  it  is  interesting  to  note,  for  it  was 
known  far  and  wide  as  "  the  best  punch- 
house  in  Boston."  When  the  time  came  to 
distinguish  between  conditional  loyalty  and 
loyalty  at  any  cost,  the  Bunch  of  Grapes 
became  the  resort  of  the  High  Whigs,  who 
made  it  a  sort  of  political  headquarters 
where  patriotism  was  the  password.     And 

88 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

when  public  feeling  was  still  further  inten- 
sified by  military  occupation  and  bayonet 
rule,  a  scarlet  coat  was  an  inflammatory 
signal  in   that  tap-room. 

Upon  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the 
royal  troops,  this  house  was  naturally  the 
very  centre  of  rejoicing  and  Stark's  victory  at 
Bennington  was  celebrated  here  with  pecul- 
iar fervour.  "  In  consequence  of  this  news," 
writes  one  who  was  an  actor  in  the  affair, 
"  we  kept  it  up  in  high  taste.  At  sundown 
about  one  hundred  of  the  first  gentlemen  of 
the  town,  with  all  the  strangers  then  in  Bos- 
ton, met  at  the  Bunch  of  Grapes,  where 
good  liquors  and  a  side-table  were  provided. 
In  the  street  were  two  brass  field-pieces  with 
a  detachment  of  Colonel  Craft's  regiment. 
In  the  balcony  of  the  Town-house  all  the 
fifes  and  drums  of  my  regiment  were  sta- 
tioned. The  ball  opened  with  a  discharge 
of  thirteen  cannon  and  at  every  toast  given 
three  rounds  were  fired  and  a  flight  of  rockets 
sent  up.  About  nine  o'clock  two  barrels  of 
grog  were  brought  out  into  the  street  for  the 
people  that  had  collected  there.  It  was  all 
conducted  with  the  greatest  propriety  and 
by  ten  o'clock  every  man  was  at  his  home." 
When  Stark  himself  came  to  town  he  was 

89 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

royally  entertained  by  the  patriotic  Marston, 
and  when  Lafayette  returned  from  France 
in  1780  with  the  news  that  his  country  would 
lend  us  her  aid  he,  too,  was  received  here 
with  all  honours. 

A  charming  picture  of  the  kind  of  enter- 
tainment furnished  at  this  inn  has  come  down 
to  us.  For  the  dinner,  served  at  two  o'clock, 
—  to  which  the  guests  would  have  been  sum- 
moned by  the  ringing  of  a  bell  in  the  street  — 
there  would  be  perhaps  twenty  persons.  Once 
seated,  they  chatted  together  pleasantly  while 
discussing  salmon  in  season,  veal,  beef,  mut- 
ton, fowl,  ham,  vegetables  and  pudding. 
Each  had  his  pint  of  Madeira  set  before  him 
and  each  served  himself  to  that  portion  of 
the  joint  he  liked  best,  all  the  carving  being 
done  at  the  table.  Five  shillings  a  day  was 
the  usual  charge  for  this  excellent  fare. 

Less  picturesque  than  some  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary gatherings,  but  quite  as  important 
to  the  progress  of  America,  was  the  meet- 
ing in  this  tavern  of  the  Ohio  Company, 
which,  under  General  Rufus  Putnam  and 
other  Continental  officers  carried  on  at  Mari- 
etta the  first  concerted  movement  of  New 
England  towards  the  Great  West. 

The  loyalists  gathered  in  great  numbers  at 
90 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

the  British  Coffee  House.  Here  was  per- 
formed in  1750,  by  an  amateur  company  of 
red-coated  officers,  Otway's  "  Orphan,"  an 
event  which  caused  the  enactment  of  a  law 
prohibiting,  under  pain  of  severe  penalties, 
the  performance  of  stage  plays  in  Boston. 
And  here,  in  1751,  was  formed  the  first 
association  in  Boston  to  take  unto  itself  the 
name  of  club.  It  was  called  the  Merchants 
plub,  though  crown  officers,  members  of  the 
bar,  army  and  navy  men  and  gentlemen  of 
high  social  rank  as  well  as  merchants  were 
admitted  to  membership.  For  a  long  time 
this  club  represented  the  ripest  culture  and 
the  most  brilliant  wit  in  the  colonies.  But 
when  the  clouds  of  the  Revolution  began  to 
gather,  the  Whigs  took  themselves  off  to  the 
Bunch  of  Grapes  over  the  way.  Thus  we 
find  John  Adams  writing,  under  date  of 
1771 :  "  Spent  the  evening  at  Cordis's,  in 
the  front  room  towards  the  Long  Wharf, 
where  the  Merchants'  Club  has  met  these 
twenty  years.  It  seems  there  is  schism  in 
that  church,  a  rent  in  that  garment."  There 
was  indeed  as  James  Otis  had  discovered  not 
long  before. 

Here,  one  evening  in  1769,  Otis  received 
the  drubbing  that  was  to  cost  him  his  reason. 

91 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  brilliant  young  orator  had  delivered  his 
famous  speech  against  the  Writs  of  Assist- 
ance only  a  few  days  before,  and  in  this 
speech  he  had  so  criticized  Customs  Com- 
missioner Robinson  that  his  friends  feared 
harm  might  come  to  him  as  a  result.  But 
Otis  had  no  forebodings  of  evil.  Had  not 
the  Boston  mob  carried  him  on  their  shoul- 
ders? There  was  only  exultation  in  his 
thoughts,  therefore,  as  he  strolled  down  King 
street  to  the  British  Coffee  House  on  the 
evening  that  was  to  mark  his  undoing.  Very 
likely,  though,  he  was  wondering  in  his  sub- 
conscious mind,  as  he  made  his  way  along 
the  uneven  street,  who  could  have  written 
the  note  which  requested  a  meeting  at  the 
Coffee  House  at  that  hour. 

He  was  to  learn  only  too  soon.  Outside 
the  inn  he  paused  beneath  the  broad  sign  to 
speak  with  a  friend.  Then  he  went  within. 
Immediately  he  was  jostled  into  a  corner 
and  set  upon  by  a  party  of  roughs  at  whose 
head  hq  recognized  his  enemy,  Robinson  I 
Otis^s  friend  did  what  he  could  in  the  way 
of  rescue,  but  he  was  promptly  overpowered 
and  hurried  into  the  street.  Meanwhile  the 
great  orator  had  been  thrown  to  the  floor 
where  he  was   left,   stunned   and   bleeding, 

92 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

with  a  great  cut  in  his  forehead.  Futile  now 
were  his  rare  gifts.  His  brain  became 
clouded  as  a  result  of  the  blows  he  had 
received,  and  ultimately  he  became  insane. 
Thus  the  Tories  accomplished  by  brute 
force  what  they  were  never  able  to  do  by 
argument,  —  the  silencing  of  the  most  potent 
voice  ever  raised  against  royal  encroach- 
ment. Otis's  gifts  of  satire  alone  would  have 
won  for  him  their  hearty  hatred.  Once  when 
Governor  Bernard  had  interrupted  him  to 
ask  whose  authority  he  was  just  then  citing, 
he  had  replied  coolly,  "  He  is  a  very  eminent 
jurist,  and  none  the  less  so  for  being  unknown 
to  your  Excellency." 

Yet  Otis  refused  to  pose  as  a  martyr,  and 
never  alluded  to  his  sufferings,  save  for  some 
such  purpose  as  John  Adams  records,  apro- 
pos of  the  complaints  of  William  Molyneux. 
That  gentleman  had  been  petitioning  the  leg- 
islature for  favours  which  it  did  not  choose 
to  grant,  and  for  several  evenings  he  had 
wearied  the  company  with  the  recital  of  his 
grievances,  ending  his  story  always  by  saying 
"  That  a  man  who  has  behaved  as  I  have, 
should  be   treated   as   I   am   is   intolerable." 

Otis  listened  for  some  time  without  retort, 
but  at  length,  perceiving  that  the  whole  club 

93 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

was  out  of  patience,  he  jumped  up  and  said 
gayly,  "  Come  Will,  I  too,  have  a  list  of 
grievances;  will  you  hear  it?"  Expecting 
sport  all  cried  out^  "Ay!  ay!  let  us  hear 
your  list." 

"  Well,  then  in  the  first  place  I  resigned 
the  office  of  Advocate  General  which  I  held 
from  the  crown,  which  produced  me  —  how 
much  do  you  think?  " 

"  A  great  deal,  no  doubt,"  said  Molyneux. 

"  Shall  we  say  two  hundred  sterling  a 
year?  " 

"  Ay,  more  I  believe,"  said  Molyneux. 

*'Well,  let  it  be  two  hundred.  That  for 
ten  years  is  two  thousand.  In  the  next  place, 
I  have  been  obliged  to  relinquish  the  greater 
part  of  my  business  at  the  bar.  Will  you  set 
that  at  two  hundred  pounds  more?  " 

"  Oh  I  believe  it  is  much  more  than  that! " 
was  the  answer. 

"  Well,  let  it  be  two  hundred.  This,  for 
ten  years,  makes  two  thousand.  You  allow 
then  I  have  lost  four  thousand  pounds 
sterling?  " 

"  Ay,  and  more  too,"  said  Molyneux. 

Otis  went  on :  "  In  the  next  place  I  have 
lost  a  hundred  friends  among  whom  were 
men  of  the  first  rank,  fortune  and  power  in 

94 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

the  province.  At  what  price  will  you 
estimate  them?  " 

"  D — n  them!  "  said  Molyneux,  "  at  noth- 
ing. You  are  better  off  without  them  than 
with  them." 

A  loud  laugh  from  the  company  greeted 
this  sally. 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Otis.  "  In  the  next  place 
I  have  made  a  thousand  enemies,  among 
whom  are  the  government  of  the  province 
and  nation.  What  do  you  think  of  this 
item?" 

^'  That  is  as  it  may  happen,"  said  Moly- 
neux, reflectively. 

"  In  the  next  place  you  know  I  love  pleas- 
ure, but  I  have  renounced  pleasure  for  ten 
years.     What  is  that  worth?" 

"  No  great  matter:  you  have  made  politics 
your  amusement." 

A  hearty  laugh. 

"  In  the  next  place  I  have  ruined  as  fine 
health  as  nature  ever  gave  to  man." 

"That  is  melancholy  indeed;  there  is 
nothing  to  be  said  on  that  point,"  Molyneux 
replied. 

*^  Once  more,"  continued  Otis,  holding 
down  his  head  before  Molyneux,  "  look  upon 
this  head!"     (There  was  a  deep  half-closed 

95 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

scar  in  which  a  man  might  lay  his  finger —  ) 
"  and,  what  is  worse,  my  friends  think  I  have 
a  monstrous  crack  in  my  skull." 

This  made  all  the  company  look  grave  and 
had  the  desired  effect  of  silencing  Molyneux, 
who  was  really  a  good  companion.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  his  wrongs,  Otis  was  so 
generous  that,  when  Robinson  had  apolo- 
gized, he  magnanimously  refused  the  dam- 
ages awarded  him  by  the  court. 

Another  inn  frequented  by  Otis  and  one 
which  will  probably  outlive  all  its  contem- 
poraries in  the  endurance  of  its  fame  is  the 
Green  Dragon,  which  Daniel  Webster  once 
pronounced  the  "  headquarters  of  the  Revo- 
lution." Here  Warren,  John  Adams  and 
Paul  Revere  all  assembled  and  plotted  and 
here  used  to  resort  hundreds  of  patriots  for 
the  express  purpose  of  conferring  with  their 
chiefs.  The  house  was  kept  in  171 2  by 
Richard  Pullin;  in  1715  by  Mr.  Pattoun; 
in  1734  by  Joseph  Kilder;  in  1769  by  John 
Gary  and  in  1771,  when  it  became  the  place 
of  meeting  of  the  Revolutionary  Club,  by 
Benjamin  Burdick.  In  the  local  events 
which  preceded  the  encounter  at  Lexington 
the  men  who  met  here  all  had  important 
parts  to  play.     Says  Revere:    "In  the  fall 

96 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

of  1774  and  winter  of  1775  I  was  one  of 
upwards  thirty,  chiefly  mechanics,  who 
formed  ourselves  into  a  committee  for  the 
purpose  of  watching  the  movements  of  the 
British  soldiers  and  gaining  every  intelli- 
gence of  the  movements  of  the  tories.  We 
held  our  meetings  at  the  Green  Dragon  Tav- 
ern. This  committee  was  astonished  to  find 
all  their  secrets  known  to  General  Gage, 
although  every  time  they  met  every  member 
swore  not  to  reveal  any  of  their  transactions 
except  to  Hancock,  Adams,  Warren,  Otis, 
Church  and  one  or  two  more." 

Doctor  Church  proved  to  be  the  traitor 
among  them.^ 

The  men  of  the  Green  Dragon  group  it 
was  who  gave  the  alarm  on  the  eve  of  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  who  spirited  away  can- 
non under  General  Gage's  very  nose  and 
who,  again  and  again,  in  the  course  of  the 
war,  performed  swiftly  and  well  dangerous 
pieces  of  work.  Dr.  Warren  was  the  idol  of 
the  crowd,  and  between  him  and  Revere  a 
very  warm  friendship  sprang  up.  When  he 
sent  the  silversmith  word,  therefore,  that  he 
must  instantly  ride  to  Lexington  he  knew 
that   the   alarm  would   be   spread  with    all 

» See  "  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Roof-Trees." 

97 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

possible  dispatch  "  through  every  Middlesex 
village  and  farm."  It  was  in  this  inn  that 
a  great  mass  of  Boston  mechanics  voted  with 
acclamation  to  urge  the  adoption  of  the  Con- 
stitution by  the  Federal  Convention.  The 
walls  of  the  Green  Dragon  so  shook  as  they 
made  this  resolve,  that  Samuel  Adams 
exclaimed  whimsically,  "  Well  if  they  want 
it  they  must  have  it." 

The  tavern  stood  on  Union  street  and  was 
a  two-storied  brick  building  with  pitch  roof, 
showing  above  its  entrance  a  metal  dragon. 
The  site  of  this  most  famous  of  Boston  inns 
is  how  marked  by  a  tablet  having  the  fa- 
bled monster  sculptured  thereon  in  bas-relief. 
During  the  British  occupation  of  Boston,  the 
several  lodges  of  the  regiment  held  their 
meetings  here.  Thus  there  are  associations 
of  many  kinds  connected  with  the  house. 

No  one  of  these  is  more  interesting  than 
the  celebration  here  of  that  Pope  Day  which 
cost  Governor  Hancock  one  thousand  dollars. 
Boston  had  long  observed  the  anniversary  of 
the  momentous  Gunpowder  Plot  by  proces- 
sions from  the  North  and  South  End  respect- 
ively. Each  section  had  its  marchers  and  its 
Pope,  and  when  the  two  met  there  was  sure 
to  be  a  riot,  for  the  rivalry  between  these 

98 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

two  districts  was  exceeding  bitter.  From 
these  combats,  in  the  course  of  which  the 
rival  effigies  of  the  papal  sovereign  were 
always  dragged  from  their  thrones  and  fists, 
stones  and  clubs  circulated  freely,  there  arose 
a  degree  of  ill-feeling  which  Hancock  feared 
might  prove  very  prejudicial  to  the  patriot 
cause.  So,  having  in  vain  endeavoured  to 
suppress  the  disagreements,  he  formed  the 
brilliant  idea  of  setting  the  bickerers  all  down 
together  at  a  great  feast  spread  in  the  Green 
Dragon.  His  plan  worked  like  a  charm,  and 
though  the  spread  cost  him  a  great  deal  of 
money,  —  which  he  never  spent  without  pain, 
—  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
it  put  an  end  to  the  riots  which  had  long 
disturbed  the  community. 

Another  famous  hostelry  of  eighteenth  cen- 
tury Boston  was  the  Cromwell's  Head  which 
stood  near  King's  Chapel  on  School  street. 
It  was  kept  by  Anthony  Brackett  in  1760,  by 
his  widow  in  1764,  and  later  by  his  brother 
Joshua.  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  of  Rocham- 
beau's  auxiliary  army,  lodged  here  when  he 
was  in  Boston  in  1782,  and  had  the  felicity 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Paul  Jones.  It 
speaks  badly  for  the  gallantry  of  the  little 
admiral  that  he  is  said  to  have  read  to  the 

99 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

company  in  the  coffee-room  of  this  house 
some  verses  composed  in  his  honour  by  Lady 
Craven. 

When  Boston  town  fell  into  the  power  of 
the  "  British  hirelings  "  it  seemed  for  a  time 
as  if  it  might  go  hard  with  this  hostelry. 
For  its  sign,  which  bore  the  grim  features  of 
the  Lord  Protector,  hung  so  low  over  the 
footway  that  pedestrians  had  been  compelled 
either  to  bow  before  it  or  whack  their  heads 
against  its  heavy  board,  alternatives  equally 
detestable  to  Kingsmen.  When  their  time 
of  might  dawned,  therefore,  mine  host  Brack- 
ett  was  obliged  to  take  down  his  sign  and 
retire  it  for  a  time  from  public  life.  But  on 
the  very  day  of  the  evacuation  it  was 
replaced!  Brackett's  "bill"  was  from  a 
plate  made  by  Paul  Revere.  At  its  head 
stood  a  facsimile  of  the  sign  stating  that 
besides  board,  lodging,  and  fare  one  might 
have  wine,  punch,  porter  and  liquor,  with 
due  care  for  one's  horse  for  certain  pounds, 
shillings,  and  pence. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  George  Washington, 
then  a  young  man  who  had  just  begun  to 
make  a  name  for  himself,  put  up  at  this 
tavern  in  1756.  He  had  been  sent  to  New 
England  by  Governor  Dinwiddle  to  confer 

100 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

with  Governor  Shirley  about  matters  mili- 
tary. By  one  who  saw  him  then  he  is 
described  as  exceeding  tall  with  large  hands 
and  feet  and  a  patrician  air  which  com- 
manded homage. 

Twenty  years  later,  when  Washington  was 
again  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  he  was  chiefly 
associated  with  the  George  or  St.  George 
Tavern  which  stood  on  the  Neck,  near  the 
Roxbury  line.  This  inn  was  surrounded  by 
an  estate  of  eighteen  acres  which  included  a 
stretch  of  field  and  marsh  from  Roxbury  on 
the  south  to  the  great  creek  on  the  west.  It 
had  orchards  and  gardens  about  it  and  com- 
manded a  good  view  of  both  Boston  and 
Cambridge  Bay.  In  1775  ^^  ^^s  a  military 
centre  for  just  below  it  the  Americans  had 
thrown  up  their  entrenchments.  Despite  the 
fact  that  the  inn  was  well  within  range  of  the 
British  musketry  General  Washington  used 
to  visit  it  daily  during  the  siege  and,  standing 
on  its  low  porch,  was  wont  to  view  the 
enemy's  position  through  his  field-glasses. 
His  uniform,  with  its  buff-coloured  facings, 
was  an  easy  mark  for  the  British  sharp- 
shooters, and  several  of  their  bullets,  which 
lodged  in  the  veranda  posts,  bore  evidence 
of  their  zeal  and  vigilance. 

lOI 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  sign  at  this  inn  depicted  a  globe  with 
a  man  breaking  through  the  crust,  like  a 
chicken  from  its  shell.  Apropos  of  this  we 
have  a  characteristic  story  of  Continental 
soldiery.  A  regiment  had  just  made  a  forced 
march  from  Providence  and  hungry,  wea- 
ther-beaten and  broken  with  fatigue  they 
reached  this  inn.  When  the  wag  of  the 
crowd  espied  the  man  on  the  sign  with  his 
motto,  "  Oh,  how  shall  I  get  through  this 
world,"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  rueful  look  at 
his  own  battered  person,  "'List,  darn  ye! 
'List,  and  you'll  get  through  this  world  fast 
enough." 

With  the  Hancock  Tavern  in  Corn  Court, 
where  Talleyrand  is  said  by  some  to  have 
stayed  during  his  visit  to  Boston  in  1795 
there  is  connected  a  story  of  romantic  if 
tragic  interest.  The  diplomat  took  a  fancy 
to  a  delicately-worked  pen-knife  in  the 
landlord's  possession  and  offered  to  buy  it 
whereupon  it  was  given  to  him  with  the 
compliments  of  mine  host.  Soon  after  leav- 
ing America  Talleyrand  went  to  Homburg 
and  there  became  enamoured  of  a  beautiful 
baroness  known  to  the  world  as  Cordelia. 
This  woman  in  her  turn  admired  the  pen- 
knife and  with  a  kiss  and  a  jest  her  lover 

102 


HANCOCK  TAVERN,  BOSTON 


The  Inns  of  Old  Boston 

gave  it  to  her.  Later  he  deserted  her  and 
she  was  found  dead  on  the  floor  of  her 
apartment  with  an  open  note  addressed  to 
M.  de  Talleyrand  on  the  table  by  her  side. 
"  I  have  burned  all  your  letters,"  this  note 
read.  '^  They  do  no  honour  to  my  memory 
nor  to  your  heart.  You  are  the  author  of 
my  death;  may  God  forgive  you  as  I  do." 
The  lovely  baroness  had  stabbed  herself 
to  the  heart  with  that  pen-knife  which  had 
once  been  the  property  of  a  Boston  boniface. 


103 


CHAPTER  VI 

SOME  REVOLUTIONARY  TAVERNS 

The  tavern  was  the  breeding-place  par 
excellence  of  the  Revolution.  What  more 
natural  than  for  a  lot  of  men,  sitting  around 
a  blazing  fire  and  talking  by  the  month  of 
their  wrongs,  to  say  finally  to  each  other 
"  Let  us  rebel ! "  Flip  all  around  and  then 
more  flip  would  be  drunk  to  this  reso- 
lution; after  which  our  sturdy  forefathers 
would  go  home  in  the  light  of  the  twinkling 
stars  full  to  the  brim  of  patriotism,  —  and  of 
New  England  rum.  But  they  were  by  no 
means  beside  themselves  with  either.  It  was 
an  age  of  hard  drinking  and  hard  thinking 
and  very  careful  plans  were  laid  ere  the 
first  seditionary  step  was  taken. 

Occasionally,  of  course,  the  landlord  was 
on  "  the  other  side."  Such  was  the  case  with 
Captain  Jones,  keeper  of  the  Golden  Ball 
Tavern  in  Weston,  Massachusetts,  in  whose 
house  the  British  spy,  John  How,  received 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

hospitality  while  out  on  a  mission  for  General 
Gage  previous  to  the  battles  of  Lexington 
and  Concord. 

It  was  a  fine  spring  morning  early  in 
April,  1775,  that  a  loutish-looking  fellow 
presenting  the  appearance  of  a  Yankee 
farmer,  strolled  into  the  stable  yard  of  the 
Joel  Smith  Tavern  in  the  centre  of  Weston 
and  asked  for  work.  When  questioned  as  to 
what  he  could  do,  he  said  he  was  an  expert 
gunsmith,  and  from  that  led  the  talk  into 
warlike  channels.  But  he  was  a  little  too 
glib,  and  he  was  soon  told  that  no  Britishers 
were  wanted  for  hire  there.  He  protested 
vehemently  that  he  was  not  a  Britisher,  but 
the  men  of  this  public  house  would  have 
none  of  him,  asserting  that  they  knew  per- 
fectly well  by  his  talk  that  he  was  a  Britisher 
and  a  spy. 

By  this  time  quite  a  crowd  had  gathered 
in  the  tavern-yard  and,  to  escape  from  their 
anger.  How  hurried  up  the  road.  His  in- 
structions had  been  to  examine  the  bridges 
and  fording-places,  as  well  as  to  find  out  the 
state  of  public  feeling  and  he  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  former  occupation  when  Cap- 
tain Jones  of  the  Golden  Ball  caught  sight 
of  him.    To  the  captain's  question  as  to  what 

105 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

he  was  doing  down  there,  How  replied  that 
he  was  looking  for  flagroot;  but  when  he 
found  that  Jones  was  a  Royalist  in  his  sym- 
pathies he  revealed  his  true  character,  and 
was  promptly  taken  into  the  tavern  and  pro- 
vided with  a  good  dinner.  Hardly  had  he 
finished  the  meal,  however,  when  there  came 
word  that  the  mob  were  after  him,  and  he 
was  hastily  escorted  by  Jones's  negro  servant 
to  the  house  of  Mr.  Wheaton,  another  Roy- 
alist who  lived  in  a  remote  part  of  the  town. 
There  he  safely  spent  the  night  while  thirty 
baffled  men  searched  every  nook  and  corner 
of  the  Golden  Ball  in  the  hope  of  finding, 
him,  contenting  themselves,  when  sure  he  was 
not  there,  with  drinking  a  new  barrel  of  rum 
Jones  offered  them.  In  a  day  or  two  How 
pushed  on  to  Worcester  and,  the  next  week, 
turned  up  at  Concord  with  his  observation 
primed  for  any  sign  of  military  stores  he 
might  come  upon.  Meanwhile  he  had  sent 
back  word  to  General  Gage  that  if  he 
attempted  to  march  artillery  over  the  Weston 
road  not  a  man  would  come  back  alive. 
This  little  incident  at  Weston  it  was,  then, 
which  caused  the  Tory  general's  change  of 
plan,  and  brought  on  the  battle  of  Concord. 
The  builder  of  the  famous  Golden  Ball 
1 06 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

Inn  (erected  in  175 1)  was  Colonel  Elisha 
Jones,  an  ardent  Tory,  who,  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  three  months  before  the  battle  of 
Concord,  commanded  the  Royal  Middlesex 
Regiment.  His  Weston  estate,  which  is  now 
the  home  of  General  Paine,  was  confiscated 
during  the  Revolution,  as  was  most  other 
Tory  property,  and  the  tavern  was  kept  in 
the  family  only  by  Landlord  Jones  consent- 
ing to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance.  He  kept 
it,  too,  so  far  as  is  known.  Certainly  Paul 
Revere  did  not  find  the  atmosphere  of  the 
house  at  all  oppressive  when  he  spent  a  night 
there  while  on  his  way  to  receive  the  pris- 
oners taken  at  Saratoga,  whom  he  conducted 
to  Winter  Hill. 

The  Buckman  Tavern,  on  the  right  of  the 
Bedford  road  in  Lexington,  saw  the  assem- 
bling, preparatory  to  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
of  the  minutemen  who  belonged  to  Captain 
Parker's  company.  From  here,  too,  the  Brit- 
ish were  fired  upon,  and  in  the  house,  which 
still  stands,  may  be  seen  to-day  shot-holes  to 
attest  that  the  regulars  fired  back. 

The  object  of  the  British  in  marching  to 
Concord  was  to  destroy  the  stores  John  How 
had  told  them  were  there.  Almost  as  soon 
as  Major  Pitcairn  reached  the  town  he  went 

107 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

to  a  tavern  where  he  had  often  lodged, 
sometimes  in  disguise,  and  finding  the  door 
closed,  forced  his  way  in  and  put  innkeeper 
Jones  under  guard  while  the  place  was 
searched.  He  must  have  felt  richly  rewarded, 
for  his  men  found  three  24-pounders,  com- 
pletely furnished  with  everything  necessary 
for  mounting,  which  the  Major  very  speedily 
put  out  of  commission.  Then  he  demanded 
that  mine  host  serve  him  breakfast!  One  of 
the  buildings  which  now  forms  part  of  the 
modern  Colonial  Inn  was  a  storehouse  at 
this  time,  and  was  also  visited  in  1775  by 
John  How. 

From  the  earliest  days.  Concord  had  been 
quite  rich  in  taverns.  On  the  spot  where 
the  present  public  library  stands  Sergeant 
William  Buss  long  kept  an  old-time  ordi- 
nary. Buss  was  a  most  estimable  —  not  to 
say  extraordinary  —  person,  for,  not  desiring 
to  sell  ^^  strong  waters,"  he  asked  the  select- 
men to  exempt  him  from  that  duty  when 
they  gave  him  an  inn  license  in  1660  or 
earlier.  Just  where  he  drew  the  line  is  not 
clear,  because  it  is  hardly  possible  that  the 
selectmen,  in  granting  his  request,  sustained 
him  to  the  extent  of  permitting  him  to  sell 
neither  fermented  nor  distilled  liquor.    Buss 

108 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns    . 

was,  however,  supplemented  in  his  ministra* 
tions  by  Major  Simon  Willard,  whose  duties 
included  the  exercise  of  the  "  trainband  "  as 
well  as  the  sale  of  wine  and  "  strong  wa- 
ter." 

This  Simon  Willard  was  a  good  deal  of  a 
man.  He  came  to  America  from  Kent 
county,  England,  and  was  at  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  as  early  as  1634.  With  the 
Rev.  Peter  Bulkeley,  he  joined  in  the  pur- 
chase of  the  tract  of  territory  we  know  as 
Concord,  and  he  soon  became  an  important 
person  in  the  direction  of  matters  there,  being 
possessed  of  considerable  means  as  well  as  of 
strong  common  sense.  About  1660  he  went 
to  Lancaster,  and  in  1672  to  Groton,  in  both 
of  which  towns  he  has  left  his  impress  upon 
history.  In  King  Philip's  war,  he  led  a  com- 
pany, with  distinction  to  them  and  to  him- 
self, and  in  times  of  peace  he  was  closely 
identified  with  the  militia  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Bay  Colony.  His  first  wife  was  Mercy 
Shays,  and  his  second  and  third  were  sisters 
of  President  Dunster  of  Harvard  College. 
His  seventeen  children  have  done  much  to 
preserve  the  name  and  the  fame  of  their  pro- 
genitor. The  old  Willard  house  at  Concord 
survived  until  about  thirty  years  ago,  when 

109 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Its  site  is  now 
marked  by  a  tablet  not  far  from  the  first 
south  bridge. 

In  1666  John  Hayward  kept  the  Black 
Horse  Tavern  on  the  main  street  and  for 
years  afterwards  he  welcomed  the  travel- 
ling public  there.  Before  the  Revolution, 
Ephraim  Jones  presided  over  an  ordinary 
near  the  west  end  of  the  Main  street  burying 
ground,  and  adjacent  to  the  old  wooden  jail; 
feeding  the  prisoners  was  part  of  this  tav- 
ern-keeper's business. 

Most  interesting  for  our  purposes,  how- 
ever, because  still  standing,  is  the  Wright 
Tavern,  established  in  1747,  and  a  public 
house  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution, — 
even  as  it  is  to-day.  Here  some  of  the  Eng- 
lish officers  made  their  headquarters  during 
their  few  hours'  sojourn  in  the  town  on 
April  19th,  and  here,  tradition  says,  Maj. 
John  Pitcairn,  who  commanded  the  British 
marines,  observed  as  he  stirred  his  brandy 
and  sugar,  "  In  this  way  we  will  stir  the 
blood  of  the  Yankees  before  night."  This 
place  was  also  the  rendezvous  of  the  Con- 
cord Minutemen  while  awaiting,  on  that 
same  morning,  tidings  of  the  advance  of  the 
English,    and    hither    came    Captain    Smith 

no 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

and  his  company  from  Lincoln  to  report. 
The  Wright  Tavern,  therefore,  has  every 
claim  to  the  reverence  it  annually  receives 
from  thousands  of  pilgrims,  who  there  rest 
from  their  labours,  and  partake  of  needed 
refreshment  in  the  course  of  "  doing  "  Con- 
cord. Its  age  alone  would  make  it  worthy 
of  veneration.  Opened  about  1747  by  a 
militia  captain  named  Ephraim  Jones,  it 
passed  in  1751  into  the  possession  of  Thomas 
Munroe,  formerly  of  Lexington,  who  made 
the  place,  —  as  Jones  had  done  before  him, 
—  a  very  popular  resort  for  town  officials  and 
others.  Amos  Wright  began  to  be  landlord 
here  in  1775  and,  though  he  was  the  head 
of  the  house  for  only  a  short  time,  his  name 
clings.  At  present  the  property  belongs  to 
the  "  First  Parish  Society,"  into  whose  care 
it  was  willed  by  the  late  Reuben  Rice  and 
Judge  E.  Rockwell  Hoar.  Its  old  fireplaces 
are  now  reopened,  and  the  inside  of  the 
house  is  restored  to  somewhat  of  its  former 
antique  appearance.  Externally  it  has 
changed  surprisingly  little  from  the  aspect 
it  presented  away  back  in  1775,  when  Doo- 
little  and  Earle  painted  it  as  the  back- 
ground for  their  picture  showing  the  royal 
troops  drawn  up  in  Concord  square. 

Ill 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  prices  formerly  charged  at  this  house 
are  interesting.  When  ordinaries  were  first 
established  in  Concord  a  meal  cost  a  six- 
pence, but  in  1779  it  was  enacted  in  a  neigh- 
bouring town  that  there,  —  and  very  likely 
here,  also, 

"  A  mug  of  West  India  flip  should  cost 
20  pence. 

"  A  mug  of  New  England  flip  should  cost 
12  pence. 

"A  good  dinner  should  cost  12.  pence. 

"  Breakfast  and  supper,  each,  should  cost 
15  pence. 

"  Lodging  should  cost  4  pence." 

At  the  Munroe  Tavern  in  Lexington  the 
brutality  which  disgraces  the  English  sol- 
diery of  April  19,  1775,  first  became  evi- 
dent. Percy  reached  this  tavern  with  rein- 
forcements about  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. One  party  of  his  men  entered  the 
house  and,  after  compelling  the  inmates  to 
serve  them  to  whatever  they  wanted,  ruth- 
lessly shot  down  John  Raymond,  an  infirm 
man  residing  in  the  family,  only  because 
he  had  become  alarmed  at  their  roughness 
and  brutal  conduct,  and  attempted  to  leave 
the  house  for  a  place  of  greater  safety. 

At  Cooper's  Tavern,  in  Arlington,  Jabez 
112 


WRIGHT  TAVERN,  CONCORD 


cooper's    TAVKRN,  ARLINGTON 


J 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

iWyman  and  Jason  Winship,  two  aged  citi- 
zens who  had  come,  unarmed,  simply  to 
inquire  the  news  "  were  most  barbarously 
and  inhumanly  murdered  by  the  British, 
being  stabbed  through  in  many  places,  their 
heads  mauled,  skulls  broken  and  their  brains 
dashed  out  on  the  floors  and  walls  of  the 
house."  ^ 

Arnold's  Tavern,  Weymouth,  Massachu- 
setts, is  another  house  of  Revolutionary  in- 
terest, for  here  was  organized  on  March  9, 
1775,  the  committee  of  correspondence  for 
that  and  neighbouring  towns.  Of  this  com- 
mittee Dr.  Tufts  was  chairman  and  Cap- 
tain White,  Major  Lovell,  Major  Vining 
and  Mr.  Joseph  Colson  other  members. 

At  SawtelPs  Tavern,  Shirley,  in  the  old 
Bay  State,  the  rights  of  New  England  peo- 
ple to  representation  when  they  had  paid 
taxes  were  vigorously  asserted.  Obadiah 
Sawtell  kept  the  house,  and  when  the  Gen- 
eral Court  was  formed,  he  was  sent  as  the 
town's  first  representative.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate, too,  to  the  convention  which  adopted 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  How 
extensively    persons    from    outside    appeared 

'  Deposition  of  Benjamin  and  Rachel  Cooper,  taken  May  lo  1775, 
while  the  facts  were  fully  known. 

"3 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

at  Shirley  for  accommodation,  tradition 
does  not  inform  us,  but  the  tavern  was  the 
place  where,  on  gala  days,  the  townspeople 
conducted  their  games  and  sports,  and  here, 
too,  the  veterans  of  the  French  and  Indian 
wars  long  made  their  boasts  of  valour. 

Greenwich,  Connecticut,  has  a  Revolu- 
tionary tavern  of  quite  unusual  interest,  for 
it  was  from  here  that  General  Israel  Put- 
nam, "old  Put,"  rushed  out  (in  1779)  with 
his  face  half  shaved,  to  take  that  daring  ride 
down  the  stone  steps,  the  story  of  which  is 
one  of  our  most  cherished  American  tradi- 
tions. In  those  days  the  house  was  the  Israel 
Knapp  Tavern,  one  of  the  most  popular  hos- 
telries  on  the  main  road  between  Boston  and 
New  York.  Along  this  road  Sir  Edmund 
Andros  journeyed  to  take  his  seat  as  the 
Governor  of  New  England  in  1686;  in 
1775  a  messenger  bearing  the  news  of  Lex- 
ington spurred  his  horse  past  the  inn,  and 
Washington  and  Lafayette  were  only  a  few 
of  the  others  who  made  the  highway  his- 
torically famous  by  passing  over  it.  To-day 
automobiles  by  the  score  speed  along  here 
every  hour  and  their  passengers  stop  for  re- 
freshment at  the  Putnam  Cottage  tea-room, 


114 


ARNOLD'S  TAVERN,  WEYMOUTH 


SAWTELL'S  TAVERN,  SHIRLEY 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

even  as  their  ancestors  were  wont  to  do  at 
Israel  Knapp's  taproom. 

The  house  probably  dates  back  two  hun- 
dred years.  Certainly  the  land  on  which  it 
stands  was  bought  in  1692  by  one  Timothy 
Knapp,  and  the  interested  student  may  find 
in  the  Greenwich  land  records  the  following 
deed,  dated  1729: 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I 
Timothy  Knap  of  Greenwich  in  the  County 
of  fairfield  &  Colony  of  Connecticut  for  ye 
love  good  will  &  fatherly  afection  which  I 
have  and  do  bear  to  my  loving  &  dutiful  son 
Israel  Knap  of  the  same  place  County  and 
Colony  aforesd  do  fully  freely  &  absolutely 
give  &  grant  unto  my  aforesd  son  Israel 
Knap  his  heirs  excrs  or  admrs  for  ever  soitin 
pearsal  or  pearsals  of  land  within  ye  bounds 
of  greenwich  the  half  of  my  now  Dwelling 
hous  and  the  one  half  of  my  home  lot  &  ye 
one  half  of  a  barn  when  it  is  hilt  &  finished 
&  the  one  half  of  my  orchard  &  the  land  on 
south  side  of  the  street  that  is  bounded  north 
by  the  streets  &  east  by  the  land  of  Ebeneezer 
Mead  &  south  by  the  land  of  Sam'l  Mills 
&  west  by  ye  meads  lands  for  him  ye  sd 
Israel  Knap  his  heirs  asigns  for  to  have  & 

"5 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

to  hold  ye  above  bargained  premises  with 
all  Rights  privalidgs  and  apurtanances  to 
ye  same  belonging  or  in  any  wis  apurtaining 
&  do  promis  to  warrant  secure  &  defend  the 
above  bargained  premises  from  all  former 
bargains  seals  rents  taxes  or  in  cumbrances 
what  so  ever  made  or  contracted  before  the 
Daye  &  Date  hereof  always  provided  that 
sd  Israel  Knap  is  not  to  sell  nor  let  out  sd 
premises  to  any  man  or  persons  who  so  ever 
during  the  life  of  his  father  &  for  the  con- 
firmation of  this  above  written  Deed  of  gift  I 
have  hereunto  sett  my  hand  &  seal  this  twenty 
first  Day  of  March  anno  qui  Domini  1729 

"Signed   sealed  &  de-  The  tenth  day  of  April  anno 

livered  In  the  presents  domini  1729  then  appeared 

of  Caleb  Knap  Jue.  the  person  of  Timothy  Knap 

John  Marshal  did  acknowlidg  the  above 

Entered  Aprill  ye  19th  Day  written  deed  of  gift  to  be 

1729   by  Joshua  Knap  Re-  his  free  and  voluntary  act 

corder  &  deed 

"Gershom  Lockwood  Justice  of  ye  peace." 

The  deed  of  this  transfer  seems  worth  giv- 
ing in  full  because  it  establishes  the  claim 
of  this  house  to  a  place  among  the  very  few 
early  New  England  taverns  which  still  en- 
tertain the  public.  To  it,  as  to  the  Williams 
Tavern   at  Marlboro,   the  Wayside   Inn   at 

116 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

Sudbury,  and  the  West  Brookfield  Tavern, 
the  automobile  has  given  a  new  lease  of  life. 

The  really  interesting  history  of  this 
house  begins,  however,  with  the  Revolu- 
tion. Greenwich  was  debatable  ground  all 
through  that  struggle  and  British  soldiers 
were  almost  as  much  there  as  our  own  men; 
similarly  there  was  a  considerable  number 
of  people  resident  in  the  town  who  had  Tory 
sympathies.  Among  these  was  Israel  Knapp 
himself,  and  it  is  said  that  his  tavern  was 
for  a  long  time  the  secret  meeting-place  of 
those  who  strove  to  defeat  the  Colonies' 
cause.  Thereby  hangs  a  highly  romantic 
though  rather  dismal  tale. 

Israel  Knapp's  favourite  son,  Timothy, 
shared  the  Tory  proclivities  of  his  father, 
but  he  was  deeply  in  love  with  the  beautiful 
daughter  of  the  patriot,  Jonathan  Mead, 
who  lived  nearby.  It  is  believed  that  the 
girl  returned  his  affection  but  she  felt  that, 
loyalty  to  her  father's  cause  compelled  her 
to  refuse  Timothy's  offer  of  marriage,  and 
the  youth,  not  unnaturally,  was  deeply  hurt 
by  this.  As  he  left  the  house  the  evening 
of  her  refusal  to  give  him  the  answer  he 
so  ardently  desired  he  exclaimed,  reproach- 
fully,   though    with    some    anger    as    well, 

117 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"  One  day  you  will  speak  to  me,  but  I  shall 
never  answer  you." 

One  evening,  shortly  afterwards,  when  he 
was  approaching  the  Mead  home,  probably 
to  make  another  attempt  to  win  the  girl  of 
his  choice,  her  father,  mistaking  him  for  one 
of  the  British  marauders  of  whom  the  town 
was  full,  shot  him  through  the  heart.  In  an 
agony  of  love  and  remorse,  the  girl  threw 
herself  upon  his  lifeless  body  and  besought 
him  to  speak  to  her.  But  he  could  not  re- 
spond either  to  her  voice  or  to  her  warm 
caresses.  His  body  lies  buried  on  the 
grounds  of  his  father's  tavern. 

"  Old  Put "  had  himself  been  doing  the 
gallant  the  night  before  he  was  surprised  by 
the  British  at  this  inn.  The  story  goes  that 
he  had  escorted  a  pretty  maiden.  Mistress 
Bush  of  Cos  Cob,  to  a  dance  in  that  part 
of  the  town  known  as  Pecksland,  and  that 
it  was  in  the  wee  small  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing when  he  retired.  Next  morning  he  slept 
considerably  later  than  was  his  habit,  and 
he  had  only  shaved  one  side  of  his  face  when 
the  news  came  that  a  large  force  of  British 
and  Tories  was  approaching  along  the  Post 
Road  from  New  York.  With  the  lather  still 
on  his  face,  Putnam  saddled  his  horse,  ha- 

ii8 


Some  Revolutionary  Taverns 

stened  to  the  Congregational  meeting  house, 
—  which  was  only  a  few  rods  west  of  the 
Knapp  Tavern,  —  and  drew  up  his  little 
body  of  Continentals.  Resistance  by  such 
a  small  number  was  futile,  however,  and 
after  the  first  volley  he  ordered  his  men  to 
look  to  their  own  safety  as  best  they  could. 
Then  he  started  on  a  gallop  towards  Stam- 
ford for  reinforcements. 

The  nearest  way  was  down  some  steps  cut 
for  pedestrians  in  the  rocks  of  what  is  now 
known  as  Put's  Hill.  The  British  thought 
that  they  had  surely  captured  the  American 
general  when  they  saw  him  spurring  his 
horse  to  this  precipitous  place.  But  "  old 
Put  "  was  equal  to  anything,  and  without 
a  second's  hesitation  he  galloped  down  the 
steep  incline,  turning  in  his  saddle  to  shake 
his  fist  at  the  astounded  dragoons,  who 
dared  not  follow  him,  and  to  call,  "  Darn 
ye,  I'll  hang  ye  to  the  next  tree  when  I  get 
ye."  That  very  day  he  returned  with  rein- 
forcements and  captured  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  prisoners. 

Since  the  Revolution,  the  Knapp  Tavern 
has  been  the  property  of  various  owners, 
though  it  was  held  until  1812  by  Margaret 
Knapp,   daughter  of  the  old  tavern-keeper. 

119 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Then  the  Tracey  family  held  it  for  more 
than  fifty  years  and,  in  1901,  the  late  Colo- 
nel Herschel  Adams,  —  whose  wife,  Helen 
Reddington  Adams  is  a  descendant  of  John 
Reddington,  a  Greenwich  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  —  bought  the  place  and  was  in- 
strumental in  turning  it  over  to  the  Putnam 
Hill  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.  as  their  headquar- 
ters. The  house  is  tastefully  furnished  with 
choice  pieces  of  the  Colonial  and  Revolu- 
tionary period,  nearly  all  of  which  have 
well-authenticated  histories.  Of  particular 
interest  is  a  desk  in  the  reception  room, 
which  was  long  the  property  of  Colonel 
Barrett,  who  led  the  American  troops  at 
Concord.  Upon  this  desk  Putnam,  while 
a  guest  of  Colonel  Barrett,  once  wrote  a 
letter  to  Washington. 


120 


KNAPP  TAVERN,  GREENWICH 


INTERIOR  OF  KNAPP  TAVERN  (NOW  PUTNAM  COTTAGE) 


CHAPTER   VII 

SOME  RHODE  ISLAND  TAVERNS  IN  WHICH 
HISTORY  WAS   MADE 

The  smallest  of  the  New  England  states 
is  very  rich  in  historic  taverns.  Allusion 
has  already  been  made  to  the  Roger  Mowry 
Tavern  which  no  longer  survives  but  which 
stood  on  Abbott  street,  Providence,  nearly 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  —  from  the  dark 
days  of  King  Philip's  war  to  the  dawn  of 
the  twentieth  century!  This  is  a  very  long 
time  in  our  land  of  rapid  changes,  so  long 
a  time  indeed  that  it  is  small  wonder  that 
scarcely  a  trace  of  the  original  building 
could  be  seen  in  the  house  as  it  last  looked. 
But  the  huge  stone  chimney  and  the  rear 
view  of  the  tavern  from  the  top  of  the  hill 
upon  which  it  stood  proved  amply  satisfy- 
ing to  one  in  search  of  evidence  of  antiquity. 

Another  Providence  tavern  of  venerable 
association  is  connected  with  the  first  overt 
act  of  rebellion  credited  to  our  colonist  fore- 

121 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

bears.  This  is  the  Sabin  Tavern,  formerly 
located  on  South  Main  street,  Providence,  in 
one  room  of  w^hich  the  party  met  to  organ- 
ize the  expedition  w^hich  destroyed  the  Gas- 
pee.  This  act  took  place  nearly  three  years 
before  the  Concord  and  Lexington  fight  but 
the  sturdy  patriots  of  Rhode  Island  were  so 
filled  with  resentment  against  the  overbear- 
ing conduct  of  the  Gaspee's  officers  that  they 
resolved  to  strike  an  effective  blow.  The 
obnoxious  schooner  was  commanded  by 
Lieut.  William  Dudingston,  and  its  adver- 
tised mission  was  "  to  prevent  breakers  of 
the  revenue  laws,  and  to  stop  the  illicit  trade, 
so  long  and  so  successfully  carried  on  in  the 
colony." 

The  manner  in  which  these  orders  were 
carried  out  was  what  chiefly  offended.  For 
the  Gaspee's  commander  insultingly  over- 
hauled all  vessels  sailing  up  and  down  the 
bay,  not  excepting  market  boats;  and  he 
even  went  to  the  length  of  molesting  and 
plundering  people  on  shore.  In  the  Provi- 
dence Gazette  of  March  28,  1772,  we  find 
the  following  reference  to  one  of  these  dep- 
redations: "A  number  of  men  belonging  to 
the  armed  schooner  that  has  been  for  some 
time  past  cruising  in  the  river  interrupting 

122 


SARIN  TAVERN,  PROVIDENCF 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

the  traders,  firing  on  Oyster  boats  &c  we  are 
told  landed  on  the  Narragansett  Shore  a  few 
days  since  &  carried  off  several  Hogs  be- 
longing to  the  inhabitants,  and  also  a  Quan- 
tity of  Fire  wood."  Individuals  appre- 
hended by  the  Gaspee  within  the  bay  were 
sent  "  to  Boston  for  trial,  contrary  to  an  act 
of  Parliament,  which  required  such  trials  to 
be  held  in  the  Colonies  where  seizures  were 
made." 

This  was  not  for  a  moment  to  be  tolerated 
and  Darius  Sessions,  the  deputy-governor, 
began  to  be  besieged  with  complaints,  all  of 
which  asked  for  information  concerning  the 
real  authority  of  this  British  commander  in 
taking  charge  of  the  navigable  waters  of  the 
state.  Thereupon  Chief  Justice  Hopkins 
was  asked  for  an  opinion.  He  gave  it:  "no 
commander  of  any  vessel  has  a  right  to  use 
any  authority  in  the  body  of  the  Colony, 
without  previously  appearing  to  the  gov- 
ernor and  showing  his  warrant  for  so  doing, 
and  also  being  sworn  to  a  due  exercise  of 
his  office." 

Naturally  this  decision  precipitated  a 
spirited  correspondence  between  Governor 
Wanton  and  Lieut.  Dudingston.  Subse- 
quently all  the  letters  which  passed  between 

12;? 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

them  were  submitted  to  Admiral  Montague, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  British  fleet  at 
Boston.  But,  following  a  custom  not  yet 
outgrown,  the  Admiral  stoutly  upheld  his 
"  man  "  replying  to  the  governor  ''  that  he 
Dudingston,  has  done  his  duty  and  behaved 
like  an  officer,  and  it  is  your  duty  as  a  gov- 
ernor to  give  him  your  assistance  and  not 
endeavor  to  distress  the  King's  officers  for 
strictly  complying  with  my  orders.  I  shall 
give  them  directions,"  he  continued,  "  that 
in  case  they  receive  any  molestation  in  the 
execution  of  their  duty,  they  shall  send  every 
man  so  taken  in  molesting  them  to  me.  I 
am  also  informed,  the  people  of  Newport 
talk  of  fitting  out  an  armed  vessel  to  rescue 
any  vessel  the  King's  schooner  may  take  car- 
rying on  an  illicit  trade.  Let  them  be  cau- 
tious what  they  do  for  as  sure  as  they  at- 
tempt it  and  any  of  them  are  taken  I  will 
hang  them  as  pirates." 

This  was  the  threat  which  inspired  the 
gathering  at  Sabin's  tavern.  A  favourable 
opportunity  to  strike  an  effective  blow  was 
supplied  by  the  grounding  of  the  Gaspee 
about  seven  miles  below  Providence,  while 
chasing  the  sloop  Hannah  commanded  by 
Benjamin  Lindsay.     The  Hannah  continued 

124 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

up  the  river  and  arrived  about  sunset  at  her 
w^harf  in  Providence.  Then,  in  the  words 
of  Col.  Ephraim  Bowen,  one  member  of 
the  Gaspee  party,  "  Lindsey  immediately  in- 
formed Mr.  John  Brown,  one  of  our  first 
and  most  respectable  merchants  of  the  situa- 
tion of  the  Gaspee.  He  concluded  that  she 
would  remain  immovable  until  about  mid- 
night, and  that  now  an  opportunity  offered 
of  putting  an  end  to  the  trouble  and  vex- 
ation she  daily  caused. 

"  Mr.  Brown  immediately  resolved  on 
her  destruction,  and  he  forthwith  directed 
one  of  his  trusty  shipmasters  to  collect  eight 
of  the  largest  long  boats  in  the  harbor, 
with  five  oars  each;  to  have  the  oars  and 
row  locks  well  muffled,  to  prevent  noise  and 
to  place  them  at  Fenner's  wharf,  directly 
opposite  to  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  James  Sa- 
bin,  who  kept  a  house  of  board  and  enter- 
tainment for  gentlemen.  About  the  time  of 
the  shutting  up  of  the  shops,  soon  after  sun- 
set, a  man  passed  along  the  main  street,  beat- 
ing a  drum,  and  informing  the  inhabitants 
of  the  fact  that  the  Gaspee  was  aground  on 
Namquit  Point,  and  would  not  float  off 
until  three  o'clock  the  next  morning;  and 
inviting   those   persons   who   felt   a   disposi- 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

tion  to  go  and  destroy  that  troublesome  ves- 
sel, to  repair  in  the  evening  to  Mr.  James 
Sabin's  house. 

"  About  nine  o'clock  I  took  my  father's 
gun,  and  my  powder  horn  and  bullets  and 
went  to  Mr.  Sabin's,  and  found  the  southeast 
room  full  of  people,  where  I  loaded  my 
gun  and  all  remained  there  until  about  ten 
o'clock,  some  casting  bullets  in  the  kitchen 
and  others  making  arrangements  for  depar- 
ture, when  orders  were  given  to  cross  the 
street  to  Fenner's  wharf,  and  embark;  which 
soon  took  place  and  a  sea-captain  acted  as 
steersman  of  each  boat;  of  whom  I  recol- 
lect Capt.  Abraham  Whipple,  Capt.  John 
B.  Hopkins  (with  whom  I  embarked)  and 
Capt.  Benjamin  Dunn.  A  line  from  left  to 
right  was  soon  formed,  with  Capt.  Whipple 
on  the  right,  and  Capt.  Hopkins  on  the 
right  of  the  left  wing. 

"  The  party  thus  proceeded  until  within 
about  sixty  yards  of  the  Gaspee,  when  a 
sentinel  hailed,  ^  Who  comes  there?'  No 
answer.  He  hailed  again  and  no  answer. 
In  about  a  minute  Dudingston  mounted  the 
starboard  gunwale,  in  his  shirt,  and  hailed, 
*Who    comes    there?'      No    answer.      He 


126 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

hailed  again,  when  Capt.  Whipple  answered 
as  follows: 

"  '  I  am  the  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Kent 
[expletives].  I  have  got  a  warrant  to  ap- 
prehend you  [ditto]  so  surrender !' 

"  I  took  my  seat  on  the  main  thwart,  near 
the  larboard  row-lock,  with  my  gun  by  my 
right  side,  facing  forwards. 

"  As  soon  as  Dudingston  began  to  hail, 
Joseph  Bucklin,  who  was  standing  on  the 
main  thwart,  by  my  right  side,  said  to  me, 
*  Eph,  reach  me  your  gun  and  I  can  kill  that 
fellow.'  I  reached  it  to  him  accordingly; 
when,  during  Capt.  Whipple's  replying, 
Bucklin  fired,  and  Dudingston  fell;  and 
Bucklin  exclaimed,  '  I  have  killed  the  ras- 
cal.' 

"  In  less  than  a  minute  after  Capt  Whip- 
ple's answer  the  boats  were  alongside  of  the 
Gaspee,  and  boarded  without  opposition. 
The  men  on  deck  retreated  below  as  Dud- 
ingston entered  the  cabin. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  discovered  thatt  he  was 
wounded,  John  Mawney,  who  had  for  two 
or  three  years  been  studying  physic  and  sur- 
gery, was  ordered  to  go  into  the  cabin  and 
dress  Dudingston's  wounds  and  I  was  di- 
rected to  assist  him.  .  .  . 

127 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

^^  Dudingston  called  for  Mr.  Dickinson 
to  produce  bandages  and  other  necessaries 
for  the  dressing  of  the  wound,  and  when 
finished,  orders  were  given  to  the  schooner's 
company  to  collect  their  clothing  and  every- 
thing belonging  to  them,  and  put  them  into 
the  boats  as  all  of  them  were  to  be  sent  on 
shore.  All  were  soon  collected  and  put 
on  board  of  the  boats,  including  imeoL  our 
boats.  They  departed  and  landed  Duding^^\^ 
ston  at  the  old  Still  house  wharf  at  Paw- 
tuxet,  and  put  the  chief  into  the  house  of 
Joseph  Rhodes.  Soon  after,  all  the  party 
were  ordered  to  depart,  leaving  one  boat 
for  the  leaders  of  the  expedition;  who  soon 
set  the  vessel  on  fire,  which  consumed  her 
to  the  water's  edge." 

Col.  Bowen's  account  of  this  affair,  writ- 
ten when  he  was  eighty-six  years  old,  is 
illuminatingly  supplemented  by  John  Maw- 
ney's  recollections  of  the  night's  work,  pub- 
lished about  1825  i^  the  Providence  Ameri- 
can and  Gazette.  He  heard  the  drummer 
passing  through  the  streets,  he  tells  us,  and, 
attracted  by  the  extraordinary  announcement 
he  was  making,  hurried  to  the  Sabin  Tav- 
ern. After  some  persuasion  Mawney  con- 
sented   to   join   the   expedition    as   surgeon; 

128 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

iand  it  is  over  his  professional  duties  on  the 
eventful  evening  that  he  lingers  with  most 
pride  in  his  narrative. 

'^  When  I  was  summoned  to  the  cabin," 
he  says,  "  I  found  Lieut.  Dudingston  in  a 
sitting  posture,  gently  reclining  to  the  left, 
bleeding  profusely,  with  a  thin  white  woollen 
blanket  loose  about  him,  which  I  threw 
aside,  and  discovered  the  effect  of  a  musket 
ball  in  the  left  groin;  and  thinking  the 
femoral  artery  was  cut,  threw  open  my 
waistband,  and  taking  my  shirt  by  the  collar 
tore  it,  when  Mr.  Dudingston  said,  ^  Pray, 
sir,  don't  tear  your  clothes;  there  is  linen 
in  that  trunk." 

Undoubtedly  Mawney's  work  was  skilful 
though  he  was  only  a  student,  for  after  the 
wound  had  been  dressed  Lieut.  Dudingston 
offered  him  a  gold  stock-buckle  as  a  testi- 
monial of  his  gratitude  and  when  he  refused 
to  accept  this  urged  upon  him  a  silver  one 
which  he  wore  with  pride  until  his  death. 

Three  days  later  the  Providence  Ameri- 
can and  Gazette  published  the  bare  facts  of 
the  Gaspee's  destruction,  but  hours  before 
the  press  had  presented  the  thing  in  outline 
the  story  was  well  known  throughout  the 
Colony  and  in  neighbouring  colonies  as  well. 

129 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

In  that  era  the  newspaper  came  straggling 
after  instead  of  anticipating  the  events  of 
the  day. 

Of  course  every  possible  endeavour  w^as 
made  to  apprehend  the  offenders,  the  initial 
reward  of  one  hundred  pounds  sterling  be- 
ing increased  to  five  hundred  pounds  "  to 
any  person  or  persons  who  shall  discover  the 
persons  guilty  "  and  a  hundred  pounds  addi- 
tional for  the  discovery  and  apprehension 
of  the  person  "  who  acted  or  called  them- 
selves or  were  called  by  their  accomplices 
the  head  sheriff  or  the  captain."  Notices 
of  these  rewards  were  freely  distributed 
throughout  the  towns  in  the  Colony  but  with- 
out other  effect  than  that  accorded  the  King's 
proclamation  which  was  posted  on  the  hay- 
scales  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Mar- 
ket house,  and  which  Mr.  Joseph  Aplin,  a 
distinguished  lawyer,  struck  down  with  his 
cane  immediately  after  reading.  Even  the 
Royal  Commission  especially  appointed  to 
search  out  the  participators  in  this  bold  deed 
could  find  out  nothing! 

Yet  the  people  of  the  town  knew  well 
about  the  details  of  the  affair  and  such  let- 
ters as  this  quoted  by  Mr.   Edward   Field 


130 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

in  his  "  History  of   Rhode   Island "   passed 
freely  through  the  mails: 

"-  Providence,  Ye  23rd  June  1772. 

"  Dear  Brother: 

"  If  I  had  no  other  motive  to-  embrace 
this  opportunity  of  writing  to  you  yet  grati- 
tude would  oblige  me.  .  .  .  Doubtless  you 
have  heard  of  the  skirmish  down  the  river, 
and  of  the  burning  of  the  armed  Schooner 
and  badly  wounding  the  captain;  so  I  shall 
write  no  more  concerning  the  affair  (though 
I  was  on  the  wharf  when  the  boats  were 
manned  and  armed  and  knew  the  principal 
actors),  lest  it  should  be  too  much  spread 
abroad;  and  perhaps  you  have  seen  the 
thundering  proclamation  in  the  newspaper 
and  the  reward  of  £100  sterling  offered  to  any 
person  or  persons  who  shall  discover  the  per- 
petrators of  the  said  villainy,  as  it  is  called. 

"  The  clock  strikes  eleven.  We  take  no 
note  of  time  but  from  its  loss.  .  .  . 

"  From  your  affectionate  brother 
"  and  sincere  friend 
Solomon  Drown  Junr." 

With  Rhode  Island's  next  brave  strike  in 
behalf   of   liberty   the    David   Arnold   Tav- 

131 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ern  at  Old  Warwick  is  connected.  The 
deed  in  question  was  the  capture  of  the 
British  General  Prescott  by  Major  William 
Barton  of  Warren  on  the  night  of  July  5, 
1777. 

For  some  six  months  previous  to  this, 
Providence  had  been  in  a  state  of  most  in- 
tense excitement  owing  to  the  arrival  at 
Newport,  early  in  December,  of  the  British 
fleet  and  troops  commanded  by  Sir  Henry 
Clinton.  To  defend  the  inhabitants  of  the 
colonies  from  the  depredations  of  the  soldiers 
(who  were  wont  to  come  on  shore  and  in- 
dulge in  the  wildest  kind  of  revelry),  and 
to  guard  against  any  surprise  or  attack  on 
the  town,  state  troops  were  posted  at  various 
points  along  the  shores  of  Narragansett  Bay. 
In  the  month  of  June,  1777,  a  regiment  of 
Rhode  Island  troops,  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Stanton,  was  stationed  in  the  town 
of  Tiverton.  Maj.  Barton  was  an  officer 
of  this  regiment. 

Barton  had  previously  served  at  Newport, 
and  was  familiar  with  the  island  and  its  sur- 
roundings as  well  as  with  the  offenses  which 
had  been  there  committed  by  the  men  from 
the  British  ships.  Moreover,  he  ardently 
admired   Gen.   Charles   Lee,  who  was  now 

132 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

a  captive  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  (Lee, 
it  should  be  parenthetically  explained,  was 
not  known  for  nearly  a  century  later  as  "  the 
most  worthless  character  which  the  Revolu- 
tion brought  to  notice.")  Resentment,  then, 
against  the  British,  a  loyal  zeal  to  rescue 
Lee,  and  desire  to  distinguish  himself,  were 
motives  which  worked  together  in  Barton's 
mind,  and  caused  him  to  carry  out  a  plan 
second  to  none  in  the  Revolution  for  bold- 
ness and  adroit  performance. 

Prescott,  as  Maj.  Barton  knew,  frequently 
spent  the  night  at  the  house  of  a  man  named 
Overing  about  five  miles  above  Newport  on 
the  west  road  leading  to  Bristol  Ferry.  Be- 
cause Prescott's  errand  at  this  house  was  one 
of  which  he  had  no  reason  to  be  proud,  the 
guard  was  only  a  slight  one.  Barton's  plan, 
therefore,  was  to  cross  Narragansett  Bay 
from  the  mainland,  seize  Prescott  and  carry 
him  to  the  American  camp. 

Not  long  after  Barton  had  hit  upon  this 
idea,  he  received  from  a  man  named  Coffin, 
who  had  escaped  from  the  island,  many  de- 
tails concerning  the  Overing  house.  Thus 
he  had  at  last  sufficient  information  to  enable 
him  successfully  to  carry  out  his  project. 
For  a  time  he  kept  the  plan  to  himself,  but 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

at  last  he  went  to  Col.  Stanton  and  unfolded 
it  to  him.  To  his  delight  this  ojfficer  prom- 
ised him  all  possible  aid.  Barton  declined 
to  explain  to  his  friends  the  details  and  ob- 
ject of  his  night-errand  so  that  the  utmost 
confidence  was  called  for  on  their  part. 
This  much,  however,  he  did  tell  them;  that 
it  was  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  the  mys- 
terious affair,  that  five  whale-boats  be  pro- 
vided. In  a  few  days  these  were  forth- 
coming. The  only  thing  now  needed  was 
men. 

The  regiment  was  ordered  paraded,  and 
the  colonel  having  thus  provided  his  subor- 
dinate with  an  opportunity  to  ask  for  volun- 
teers, forty,  the  necessary  number,  were 
quickly  chosen.  With  them  and  the  follow- 
ing order  from  his  colonel.  Barton  pro- 
ceeded to  do  his  work: 

"  Headquarters  Camp  at  Tiverton, 
"  5th  July,  1777. 
"  Lieut.  Col.  Barton, 
"  You  will  proceed  to  the  Island  of  New- 
port and  attack  the  enemy  when  and  where 
you  think  proper  and  make  Report  to  me  of 
your  proceeding. 

"Jos:  Stanton,  Jr.  Colo!' 

134 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

Not  until  two  days  after  the  beginning  of 
active  operations  did  Barton  explain  to  his 
volunteers  the  nature  of  the  enterprise  upon 
v^hich  they  had  embarked!  But  though  they 
v^ere  greatly  astonished  at  the  boldness  of 
the  plan,  not  one  of  them  wished  to  with- 
draw, and  it  was,  therefore,  with  the  full 
quota  of  men  that  he  proceeded  with  his 
perilous  undertaking  on  the  evening  of  July 
9th.  No  plunder,  no  liquor,  silence  and 
implicit  obedience  were  the  conditions  im- 
posed as  the  forty-one  men  embarked  on  the 
five  boats  waiting  at  Warwick  Neck  with 
oars  already  muffled.  Barton's  boat  took  the 
lead.  To  distinguish  it  from  the  others  a 
pole  was  set  up  on  which  was  tied  a  white 
handkerchief.  He  was  followed  swiftly  and 
silently  as  he  made  his  way  close  to  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Prudence  Island,  taking  care 
to  avoid  the  enemy's  ships,  which  lay  near 
Hope  Island.  Yet  they  went  quite  near 
enough  to  hear  the  sentinel  call  in  the  black 
night  "All's  well!" 

When  the  landing  was  made  at  that  point 
on  the  shore  nearest  the  Overing  house,  one 
man  was  left  with  each  boat  and  instructed 
to  push  off  in  case  any  break  in  the  plans 
should     occur.      Then     the     five     divisions 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

pushed  on  up  to  the  house.  There  were 
three  entrances  and  it  was  arranged  that  all 
were  to  be  attacked  while  one  group  of  men 
guarded  the  road  and  another  acted  on  emer- 
gencies. 

No  sooner  was  the  front  gate  opened, 
however,  than  a  sentinel  advanced  and  de- 
manded, "  Who  come  there?  "  No  reply  was 
made  and  the  party  kept  on;  a  second  time 
the  sentinel  inquired,  "Who  comes  there?" 

"  Friends,"  retorted  Barton,  who  was  now 
nearly  up  with  the  guard. 

"  Advance  and  give  the  countersign,"  was 
the  response. 

"  We  have  none,"  said  Barton,  "  but  have 
you  seen  any  deserters  tonight?  " 

This  naive  retort  so  surprised  the  guard 
that  John  Hunt,  one  of  the  party,  was  able 
to  overpower  the  man  and  take  away  his 
gun  before  he  had  time  to  realize  that  these 
were  enemies  and  not  friends.  Told  to  pre- 
serve silence  under  penalty  of  instant  death, 
he  became  as  one  dumb. 

To  enter  the  house  and  capture  Prescott 
was  the  work  of  only  a  few  moments,  for 
Mr.  Overing,  much  frightened,  immediately 
indicated  the  room  where  he  was  soon  found, 


136 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

sitting  in  his  nightclothes  on  the  side  of  the 
bed. 

"  Are  you  General  Prescott?  "  demanded 
Barton. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  man. 

"  You  are  my  prisoner." 

"  I  acknowledge  it,  sir,"  replied  Prescott. 

The  general  was  then  told  that  he  must 
accompany  them  at  once,  and,  though  he 
begged  for  time  to  dress,  he  was  allowed 
opportunity  to  put  on  only  a  few  garments. 
Time  was  very  precious  just  then.  Had 
Major  Barrington,  the  general's  aid,  who  in 
an  attempt  to  give  the  alarm  jumped  from 
the  window  of  the  chamber  where  he  had 
been  sleeping,  not  been  captured  by  the  men 
outside,  the  whole  affair  might  have  mis- 
carried. 

There  was  none  too  much  time  as  it  was, 
for  scarcely  had  the  little  party  made  their 
way  through  the  meadows  to  the  boats  when 
three  cannon  and  three  rockets,  the  signal  of 
alarm,  came  from  the  island;  some  of  the 
household  had  spread  the  news  and  the 
whole  camp  was  aroused.  Barton  and  his 
party  proceeded  on  their  way  unmolested, 
however,  and  Prescott  said  admiringly  as 
they  rowed  past  the  British  vessels  lying  at 

137 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

anchor,  ''  Sir,  I  did  not  think  it  possible  you 
could  escape  the  vigilance  of  the  water- 
guards." 

From  the  landing-place  to  David  Arnold's 
tavern  at  Warwick  neck  was  not  much  of  a 
walk,  but  Prescott,  whose  bare  feet  had  been 
scratched  by  the  blackberry  vines  in  the 
meadow  they  had  recently  crossed,  begged 
so  hard  for  a  pair  of  shoes  that  a  pair  was 
obtained  for  him  from  one  of  the  officers  at 
the  Warwick  neck  station.  Samuel  Cory, 
of  the  expedition,  was  directed  by  Barton 
to  take  the  shoes  to  the  general  and  put  them 
on.  There  was  some  difficulty  about  this  as 
Prescott  kept  protesting  that  his  feet  were 
so  swollen  the  shoes  would  not  fit.  "  My 
orders  were  to  put  the  shoes  on  General 
Prescott,  not  to  see  that  they  fitted,"  said 
Samuel  grimly,  as  he  vigorously  executed 
the  order. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  tavern,  the  two 
prisoners  were  assigned  rooms  and  carefully 
guarded.  Next  morning  at  breakfast  Pres- 
cott ate  little,  and  Mrs.  Arnold,  the  land- 
lord's wife,  thinking  he  did  not  like  her 
fare,  made  some  remark  on  the  subject.  But 
the  British  general  assured  her  that  he  had 
no   appetite.      He   likewise   had   no   cravat, 

138 


DAVID  ARNOLD  TAVERN,  WARWICK 


PELEG  ARNOLD  TAVERN,  NEAR  WOONSOCKET 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

and  Mrs.  Arnold,  noticing  this,  kindly  gave 
him  one  of  her  best  white  handkerchiefs  to 
remedy  this  defect  of  toilet.  Soon  after  the 
morning  meal,  the  two  distinguished  pris- 
oners were  driven  under  guard  to  Provi- 
dence, in  a  coach  General  Spencer  had  sent 
out  for  this  purpose.  From  Providence, 
Prescott  was  forwarded  to  General  Washing- 
ton's headquarters  in  New  Jersey,  and  in 
the  spring  he  was  exchanged  for  General 
Lee,  as  Barton  had  hoped  would  be  the  case. 
Peleg  Arnold's  tavern  at  what  is  now 
Union  village,  near  Woonsocket,  is  another 
Revolutionary  tavern  rich  in  historic  asso- 
ciations. As  a  house  of  entertainment  the 
place  dates  back  to  1739,  when  Lieut. 
Thomas  Arnold,  the  father  of  Peleg,  was 
licensed  to  keep  a  public  house.  Situated  as 
it  was  on  the  "  Great  Road "  leading  to 
Worcester,  it  was  widely  patronized  by 
weary  travellers,  and  when  the  father  died 
in  1765  Peleg  began  to  carry  on  the  busi- 
ness. To  his  door,  ten  years  later,  rode  a 
dusty  messenger  with  the  exciting  news  of 
Concord  and  Lexington,  news  which  so 
aroused  the  tavern-keeper  that  throughout 
the  Revolution  his  house  was  the  centre  of 
all  the  patriotic  enterprises  of  that  section. 

139 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Here  the  town-meeting  was  held  and  here 
men  were  recruited  for  service  in  the  army. 
Here,  too,  a  little  later,  were  deposited  arms 
for  distribution  among  the  North  Smith- 
field  soldiery.  When  Peleg  Arnold  died,  he 
had  for  many  years  been  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Rhode  Island. 

Another  Justice  Eleazer  Arnold  was  also 
a  Rhode  Island  tavern-keeper  and  a  man  of 
unusual  qualities.  His  license  to  keep  a 
public  house  is  dated  August  14,  1710,  and 
the  privilege  then  extended  is  thus  formally 
recorded : 

"  Whereas  the  Lawes  do  Provide  that  no 
Person  Inhabiting  on  our  CoUony  shall 
keepe  any  Publick  house  of  Entertainment 
for  strangers,  Travilers  or  others,  nor  Re- 
tale  Strong  drinke,  unless  they  have  a  licence 
from  the  Councill  of  ye  Respective  Towne 
whereunto  they  do  belong;  And  Whereas 
you  Justice  Eliezer  Arnold  Inhabitant  of 
this  Towne  of  Providence,  in  ye  Colloney 
of  Rhode  Island  &  Providence  Plantations  in 
New  England  haveing  desired  of  ye  Towne 
Councill  of  sd  Providence  that  they  Would 
Grant  unto  you  a  licence  in  order  to  that 
Purpose,  whereby  you  might  be  in  a  Capac- 
itye  to  keepe  a  house  of  that  Order  &  for 

140 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

that  imploy:  The  Towne  Councill  of  said 
Providence  being  mett,  &  haveing  Consid- 
ered your  Request,  and  to  ye  end  that  stran- 
gers, Travilers  &  other  Persons  may  be  ac- 
comodated with  suteable  Entertainment  at 
all  times  as  Ocation  Requires  do  by  these 
presents  Grant  un  to  you  ye  abovesd  Jus- 
tice Eliezer  Arnold  licence  &  libertye  to 
keepe  a  Publick  house  of  Entertainment  in 
sd  Providence  Towneshipp  at  your  dwell- 
ing, for  the  Entertaineing  of  Strangers, 
Travilers  &  other  Persons,  both  horse  and 
foote,  Carters,  Drovers,  &c:  at  all  times  for 
&  duiring  the  full  &  just  Terme  of  one 
yeares  Time  forward  from  ye  day  of  the 
date  of  these  presents:  And  that  at  all  times 
duiring  the  said  Terme  of  time  you  do 
(within  your  Prescinks)  well  &  truely  Ob- 
serve, do  &  keepe  good  Orders  according 
as  ye  lawes  do  Require  Persons  Who  are 
licenced  to  keepe  such  houses  to  do  &  Per- 
forme.  Dated  August  ye  14th:    1710." 

This  old  house  has  been  designated  for 
generations  as  "  The  Stone  Chimney  House  " 
by  reason  of  its  huge  fireplace  and  chimney 
of  stone.  It  has  been  said  that  this  form 
of  construction  was  used  on  the  side  to  the 
northwestward,   north   and  northeastward  to 

141 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

protect  the  house  from  the  fire-arrows  of 
Indians  who  dwelt  in  the  primeval  forest 
that  there  stretched  out.  This  explanation, 
too,  is  given  for  the  mortar-laid  shingles  on 
the  roof.  Unfortunately  for  the  story,  how- 
ever, there  are  facts  to  show  us  that  the  rela- 
tion between  Eleazer  Arnold  and  his  red- 
men  neighbours  were  most  unusually 
friendly.  Within  the  tavern  when  he  died 
was  *'  an  old  bed  the  Indians  used  to  lie 
on!" 

For  its  time  Justice  Arnold's  tavern  was 
unusually  spacious.  It  had  four  rooms  on 
the  lower  floor  and  on  the  second  floor  were 
two  chambers  one  of  which  contained  a  fire- 
place. The  living-room  was  large  and  com- 
modious with  its  huge  fireplace,  the  great 
"  summer  "  beam  upon  which  the  guns  were 
wont  to  be  placed,  and  over  the  fireplace  a 
strong  eye-bolt  to  which  could  be  attached  a 
block  and  tackle  to  aid  in  hauling  great  logs 
to  the  fire.  Mantelpieces,  as  one  careful 
student  of  colonial  days  has  pointed  out, 
were  no  part  of  the  interior  furnishings  of 
really  old  houses.  "  Whatever  was  arranged 
about  the  walls  was  hung  on  long  hooks 
made  of  natural  branches,  fitted  according 
to  the  ingenuity  of  the  owner."    The  date  of 

142 


ELEAZER  ARNOLD  TAVERN,  NEAR  QUINSNICKET,  LINCOLN 


GREENVILLE    TAVERN,  SMITHFIELD 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

this  house  is  1687,  and  here  Justice  Arnold 
long  held  his  court. 

The  Greenville  Tavern,  Smithfield,  Rhode 
Island,  dates  back  to  1730,  and  with  its  sec- 
ond-story piazza,  overhanging  roof  and  huge 
chimney  certainly  suggests  old-time  revel- 
ries and  romantic  rendezvous.  Divers  merry 
parties  were  wont  to  congregate  in  this  old 
inn  and  sip  flip  or  cheering  toddy  around 
its  blazing  fire.  Mr.  Edward  Field  quotes 
an  ancient  rhyme  which  throws  into  sharp 
relief  one  such  congenially  occupied  group: 

**  Landlord,  to  thy  bar  room  skip. 
Make  it  a  foaming  mug  of  flip  — 
Make  it  of  our  country's  staple. 
Rum,  New  England  sugar  maple, 
Beer  that's  brewed  from  hops  and  Pumpkins, 
Grateful  to  the  thirsty  Bumpkins. 
Hark !   I  hear  the  poker  sizzle 
And  O'er  the  mug  the  liquor  drizzle. 
And  against  the  earthen  mug 
I  hear  the  wooden  spoon's  cheerful  dub. 
I  see  thee,  landlord,  taste  the  flip; 
And  fling  thy  cud  from  under  lip. 
Then  pour  more  rum,  the  bottle  stopping. 
Stir  it  again  and  say  it's  topping  ; 
Come,  quickly  bring  the  humm'ng  liquor. 
Richer  than  ale  of  British  vicar, 

143 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Better  than  Usquebaugh  Hibernian 

Or  than  Flacus'  famed  Falernian, 

More  potent  healthy,  racy,  frisky. 

Than  Holland's  gin  or  Georgia's  whisky. 

Come,  make  a  ring  around  the  fire 

And  hand  the  mug  unto  the  squire; 

Here,  Deacon,  take  the  elbow  chair. 

And  Corporal  Cuke,  do  you  sit  there; 

You  take  the  dye  tub,  you  the  churn. 

And  ril  the  double  corner  turn. 

See  the  fomenting  liquor  rise 

And  burn  their  cheeks  and  close  their  eyes; 

See  the  sidling  mug  incline. 

Hear  them  curse  their  dull  divine 

Who  on  Sunday  dared  to  rail 

Against  B  —  's  flip  or  Downer's  ale 

Quick,  landlord,  fly  and  bring  another. 

And  Deacon  H.  shall  pay  for  'tother 

Ensign  and  I  the  third  will  share, 

Its  due  on  swop  for  the  pyeball  mare." 

From  this  highly  convivial  verse,  we  dis- 
cover that  though  there  was  seldom  much 
furniture  in  a  typical  tap-room,  a  flip-iron 
was  an  indispensable  fixture.  This,  when 
heated,  gave  to  certain  mixtures  a  burnt, 
bitter  flavour  which  was  much  liked.  The 
ingredients  stirred  together  varied  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  colonies  but  one  much 

144 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

approved  by  Rhode  Island  palates  consisted 
of  home-brewed  beer  sweetened  with  sugar 
molasses  or  dried  pumpkin  and  flavoured 
with  a  liberal  dash  of  rum. 

An  era  which  could  enjoy  such  barbarous 
drinks  not  unnaturally  encouraged  barba- 
rous customs.  Certainly  no  softer  adjective 
may  fitly  characterize  the  shift  marriages 
which  took  place  in  Rhode  Island,  not  far 
from  one  of  the  taverns  we  have  here  been 
discussing.  In  the  records  of  the  town  of 
Warwick  appears  the  following  entry: 

"  These  are  to  signify  unto  all  ministers 
of  justice  that  Henry  Strait  Jun  of  East 
Greenwich  in  ye  colony  of  R.  I.  and  Prov. 
Plantation  took  Mary  Webb  of  ye  town  of 
Warwick  in  ye  colony  afousd.  widow  in  only 
a  shift  and  no  other  Garment  in  ye  presns 
of  Avis  Gordon  May  Collins  and  Presilar 
Crandall  and  was  Lawfully  Married  in  sd 
Warwick  ye  first  of  August  1725  by  me 
Recorded  ye  5th  of  Nov  1725  Pr  John 
Wickes  T.  C." 

In  South  Kingstown  this  same  curious 
custom  prevailed  and  it  is  there  recorded 
that  "  Thomas  Cullenwell  was  joyned  in 
Marriage  to  Abigaile  his  wife  the  22d  of 
February  1719-20.    He  took  her  in  marriage 

145 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

after  she  had  gone  four  times  across  the 
Highway  in  only  her  shift  and  hair  lace  and 
no  other  clothing.  Joyned  togather,  in  mar- 
riage per  me  George  Hassard  Just." 

The  third  record,  which  is  somewhat 
fuller,  shows  us  what  this  extraordinary 
wedding  custom  meant  to  its  participants: 

"  In  the  town  of  Newport  in  the  Colony 
of  Rhode  Island  and  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
tember 1 714  John  Gavett  of  the  town  and 
county  above  said  did  meet  with  Sarah 
Stephenson,  widow,  in  the  street  within  the 
town  abovesaid  stark  naked  save  only  her 
shift  and  they  being  lawfully  published  the 
said  John  Gavett  did  accept  in  marriage  the 
above  said  Sarah  Stephenson  stark  naked 
save  only  her  shift  without  housing  or  lands 
or  any  personal  state  whatever,  and  in  said 
street  I  did  join  together  in  marriage  the 
above  said  John  Gavett  and  Sarah  Stephen- 
son on  the  day  and  year  above  said  as  wit- 
ness my  hand  and  seal  hereto  affixed. 

"  Nath'l  Sheffield  Assistant^ 

Let  it  not  be  thought,  however,  that  this 
custom  was  peculiar  to  Rhode  Island.  Such 
was  far  from  being  the  case;   shift  marriages 

146 


Some  Rhode  Island  Taverns 

for  the  purpose  of  escaping  the  debts  con- 
tracted by  the  bride's  deceased  husband  took 
place  in  many  of  the  colonies,  —  certainly 
in  Pennsylvania  and  in  all  the  New  Eng- 
land states.  And  a  pitiful  commentary  they 
are  upon  the  crude  civilization  of  our  tav- 
ern-loving forbears. 


147 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  TAVERNS  THAT  ENTERTAINED  WASH- 
INGTON 

Of  all  the  distinguished  guests  with  whose 
names  tavern  traditions  are  proudly  linked, 
Washington  is,  of  course,  the  most  eminent. 
The  tavern  that  can  boast  of  having  given 
him  shelter  for  a  night  has  ten  times  the 
chance  of  preservation  accorded  the  ordi- 
nary old  building.  One  writer  indeed  be- 
lieves that  the  Washington  tavern  business 
is  greatly  overdone  and,  in  speaking  of  an 
inn  interesting  chiefly  for  its  age,  points  out 
triumphantly  that  it  is  "  innocent  of  Wash- 
ington associations."  Just  here,  however, 
we  will  take  the  other  tack  and  trace  care- 
fully the  hostelries  honoured  by  the  Presi- 
dent's party  during  his  official  visits  to  New 
England. 

"Thurs.  Oct.  15,  1789,"  says  his  Diary, 
"  I  commenced  my  journey  about  9  o'clock 
for  Boston  and  a  tour  through  the  Eastern 

148 


Taverns  That  Entertained  IVashington 

States.  The  Chief  Justice,  Mr.  Jay  —  and 
the  secretaries  of  the  Treasury  and  War 
Departments  accompanied  me  some  distance 
out  of  the  city.  About  lo  o^clock  it  began 
to  Rain  and  continued  to  do  so  till  ii,  when 
we  arrived  at  the  house  of  one  Hoyatt,  who 
keeps  a  Tavern  at  Kingsbridge,  where  we, 
that  is.  Major  Jackson,  Mr.  Lear  and  my- 
self with  six  servants,  which  composed  my 
Retinue  dined.  After  dinner,  through  fre- 
quent light  showers  we  proceed'd  to  the  Tav- 
ern of  Mrs.  Haviland  at  Rye.  .  .  .  Oct.  i6 
About  7  o'clock  we  left  the  Widow  Havi- 
land's  and  after  passing  Horse  Neck,  six 
miles  from  Rye,  we  breakfasted  at  Stam- 
ford [Connecticut]  which  is  6  miles  fur- 
ther. At  Norwalk,  which  is  six  miles  fur- 
ther we  made  a  halt  to  feed  our  horses.  .  .  . 
From  thence  to  Fairfield  where  we  dined 
and  lodged,  is  12  miles.  October  17.  —  A 
little  after  sunrise  we  left  Fairfield,  and 
passing  through  Et.  Fairfield,  breakfasted 
at  Stratford,  which  is  ten  miles  from  Fair- 
field. ...  At  this  place  I  was  received  with 
an  effort  of  Military  parade;  and  was  at- 
tended to  the  Ferry,  which  is  near  a  mile 
from  the  center  of  the  Town,  by  sevl.  Gen- 
tlemen  on   horseback.  .  .  .  From    the   ferry 

149 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

is  about  3  miles  to  Milford."  The  tavern  in 
Milford,  —  now  no  longer  standing,  —  was 
kept  by  Andrew  Clark,  —  and  not  very  well 
kept  either.  Lambert's  history  tells  us  that, 
during  his  New  England  tour  of  1789, 
Washington  twice  put  up  here.  The  house 
had  been  opened  very  early  in  the  town's 
history  by  one  Tomlinson  who,  in  1656,  was 
sued  by  the  authorities  because  "  he  had 
broken  the  jurisdiction  order  by  selling 
strong  water,  wine  and  beer  at  greater  prices 
than  was  allowed,  and  kept  a  disorderly 
house  in  that  he  suffered  young  men  and 
maids  to  come  there  and  dance  and  play  at 
shuffle  board."  Washington's  criticism  of 
the  house  was  that  he  did  not  find  the  food 
good,  —  and  that  it  had  no  silver  spoons  1 
Not  much  relishing  his  supper  of  boiled 
meat  and  potatoes,  he  called  for  a  bowl  of 
milk,  which  was  brought  him,  with  a  pewter 
spoon  that  lacked  a  handle.  He  asked  for 
a  silver  spoon,  but  was  told  the  house  af- 
forded none,  whereupon  he  gave  the  servant- 
maid  a  two-shilling  piece  and  told  her  to  go 
and  borrow  one.  She  accordingly  borrowed 
one  for  him  at  the  minister's. 

^  From    Milford,"    the    Diary    continues, 
"  we    took    the    lower    road    through    West 

150 


Taverns  That  Entertained  IVashington 

Haven  and  arrived  at  New  Haven  before 
two  o'clock;  we  had  time  to  walk  through 
several  parts  of  the  City  before  Dinner.  .  .  . 
The  Address  (of  the  Assembly)  was  pre- 
sented at  7  o'clock  and  at  nine  I  received 
another  address  from  the  Congregational 
Clergy  of  the  place.  Betw^een  the  rect.  of 
the  two  addresses  I  received  the  Compli- 
ment of  a  visit  from  the  Govr.  Mr.  Hunt- 
ington—  the  Lieut.  Gov.  Mr.  Wolcott  — 
and  the  Mayor  Mr.  Roger  Sherman." 

Sunday  finds  the  President  enjoying  the 
hospitality  of  the  town's  best  tavern.  "  Went 
in  the  forenoon  to  the  Episcopal  church," 
the  Diary  records,  "  and  in  the  afternoon  to 
one  of  the  Congregational  Meeting-Houses. 
Attended  to  the  first  by  the  speaker  of  the 
Assembly,  Mr.  Edwards,  and  a  Mr.  Inger- 
soll,  and  to  the  latter  by  the  Governor,  the 
Lieut.  Governor,  the  Mayor  and  Speaker. 
These  gentlemen  all  dined  with  me  (by  in- 
vitation) as  did  Genl.  Huntington,  at  the 
House  of  Mr.  Brown,  where  I  lodged,  and 
who  keeps  a  good  Tavern.  Drank  tea  at  the 
Mayor's.  ...  At  7  O'clock  in  the  evening 
many  Officers  of  this  State,  belonging  to  the 
late  Continental  army,  called  to  pay  their 
respects  to  me." 

151 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  keeper  of  this  "  good  tavern "  had 
not  been  very  long  in  the  business,  it  ap- 
pears, for  in  the  columns  of  the  Connecticut 
Journal  for  April,  1786,  we  find  the  follow- 
ing: "Jacob  Brown,  one  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  stages,  informs  the  public  that  he  has 
opened  a  house  of  entertainment  in  the  City 
of  New  Haven."  "  This  house  must  have 
faced  the  Green,"  says  Mr.  Henry  T.  Blake, 
secretary  of  the  New  Haven  Colony  His- 
torical Society,  "  for  in  May,  1787,  Mr. 
Brown  advertised  that  ^  he  has  removed 
from  the  house  lately  occupied  on  the  Green 
to  Colonel  Hubbard's  elegant  stone  house 
near  the  old  market  where  those  who  wish 
to  take  passage  in  the  stage  and  others  may 
be  decently  entertained.'  "  This  second  house 
it  was  to  which  Washington  came,  and  it 
is  still  standing  at  the  junction  of  Church, 
George  and  Meadow  streets.  To-day,  too, 
as  in  Washington's  time  it  dispenses  liquid 
refreshments.  Only  now  its  wares  are  served 
without  lodging,  over  the  counter,  by  the 
glass,  —  and  they  are  of  Teutonic  appeal. 
The  house  was  built  by  Dr.  Hubbard,  who 
died  in  1794,  and  was,  in  its  day,  one  of  the 
most  elegant  private  residences  of  the  town. 

That   Saturday   evening   of   Washington's 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

visit  it  was  again  thronged  with  handsomely- 
dressed  gentlemen.  A  constant  succession  of 
civic,  ecclesiastical  and  military  dignities 
streamed  through  its  spacious  parlours.  At 
seven  the  Committee  of  the  Legislature  ap- 
peared; at  eight  the  Governor  and  the 
mayor  made  their  bows  and  at  nine  the  Rev- 
erend President  of  the  College  and  the  Con- 
gregational ministers  arrived.  Later  numer- 
ous worthy  citizens  of  the  town  paid  their 
respects  to  the  nation's  head. 

After  the  Sunday  dinner  at  Brown's  to 
which  the  Diary  refers,  the  President  heard 
the  great  Jonathan  Edwards  preach.  His 
entertainers  had  expected  that  the  distin- 
guished theologian  would  furnish  a  sermon 
suitable  to  the  extraordinary  occasion,  but 
Edwards,  with  characteristic  other-worldli- 
ness  announced  that  his  text  was,  "  Train 
up  a  Child  in  the  way  he  should  go  and 
when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 
He  added  immediately  that,  in  speaking  on 
these  sacred  words,  he  would  address  himself 
principally  to  the  children  in  the  galleries! 
In  this  connection  it  is  pleasant  to  find  a 
charming  story  of  the  President's  encounter, 
that  afternoon,  with  one  of  those  very  chil- 
dren.    He  went,   as   the   Diary   records,   to 

153 


f 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

drink  tea  with  the  Mayor,  Mr.  Sherman. 
Roger  Sherman's  house  is  still  standing,  on 
Chapel  street,  next  to  the  Union  League 
Club  building.  Its  door  on  that  faraway 
occasion  was  opened,  as  the  President  was 
leaving,  by  Mr.  Sherman's  little  daughter 
Mehitabel.  Washington,  putting  his  hand 
on  her  head  remarked  kindly,  "  You  deserve 
a  better  office,  my  little  lady!"  "Yes,  sir," 
she  replied  with  a  courtesy,  "  to  let  you  in!' 
One  earlier  visit  to  New  Haven  the  Pres- 
ident had  made.  This  was  in  the  summer 
of  1775,  when  on  his  way  to  take  command 
of  the  Continental  forces  at  Cambridge.  On 
this  occasion  he  stopped  at  the  house  of 
Isaac  Beers,  then  situated  on  the  lot  where 
the  New  Haven  House  now  stands.  The 
proprietor  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Nathan  Beers, 
who  was  killed  in  his  own  house  by  the  Brit- 
ish troops  during  their  invasion  of  New 
Haven  in  1779.  The  house  had  been  kept 
by  Mr.  Beers  as  a  place  of  public  entertain- 
ment since  about  1760;  and  until  he  retired 
from  inn-keeping  in  1778  was  the  most  prom- 
inent hostelry  in  New  Haven.  Public  din- 
ners were  frequently  held  here,  and  John 
Adams  records  that  when  he  stopped  there 
in  1774  on  his  way  to  the  Continental  Con- 

IS4 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

gress  he  "  talked  of  politics  with  Mr.  Beers." 
While  Washington  was  a  guest  at  this  house 
he  was  aroused  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  review  the  company  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  Yale  students  which  had  been 
formed,  soon  after  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
to  serve  the  cause  of  the  United  Colonies. 

"  Left  New  Haven  at  6  O'clock,"  we  find 
to  be  the  entry  of  October  19,  "  and  arrived 
at  Wallingford  (13  miles)  by  half  after  8 
o'clock,  where  we  breakfasted  and  took  a 
walk  through  the  Town.  .  .  .  About  10 
o'clock  we  left  this  place,  and  at  the  dis- 
tance of  8  miles  passed  through  Durham. 
At  one  we  arrived  at  Middletown,  on  Con- 
necticut River,  being  met  two  or  three  miles 
from  it  by  the  respectable  citizens  of  the 
place,  and  escorted  in  by  them.  While  din- 
ner was  getting  ready  I  took  a  walk  around 
the  Town  from  the  heights  of  which  the 
prospect  is  beautiful.  .  .  .  Having  dined, 
we  set  out  with  the  same  escort  (who  con- 
ducted us  into  town  about  three  o'clock  for 
Hartford,  and  passing  through  a  Parish  of 
Middletown  and  Weathersfield  we  arrived 
at  Harfd.  about  sundown.  At  Weathersfield 
we  were  met  by  a  party  of  the  Hartford 
light   horse    and    a    number   of    Gentlemen 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

from  the  same  place  with  Col^  Wadsworth 
at  their  head,  and  escorted  to  Bull's  Tavern 
where  we  lodged." 

This  tavern,  the  most  noted  in  Hartford, 
was  called  the  Bunch  of  Grapes  from  its 
carved  sign  bearing  that  device.  It  stood 
at  or  near  the  point  of  intersection  of  Asy- 
lum street  with  the  west  side  of  Main  street. 

M.  de  Chastellux,  who  visited  the  house 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  commented 
on  it  as  "a  very  good  inn;  kept  by  Mr. 
Bull,  who  is  accused  of  being  rather  on  the 
other  side  of  the  question;  a  polite  method 
of  designating  a  tory." 

The  punctiliousness  with  which  Wash- 
ington fulfilled  all  his  engagements  in  the 
course  of  this  triumphal  tour  is  very  im- 
pressive. Occasionally,  of  course,  the 
weather  interfered  with  plans  made  but 
when  such  was  the  case  we  find  the  matter 
carefully  explained  in  the  Diary.  Accord- 
ingly there  is  recorded  on  Wednesday,  Oc- 
tober 21,  "By  promise  I  was  to  have  Break- 
fasted at  Mr.  Ellsworth's  at  Windsor,  on 
my  way  to  Springfield,  but  the  morning 
proving  very  wet,  and  the  rain  not  ceasing 
till  past  ten  o'clock,  I  did  not  set  out  until 
half  after  that  hour;    I  called,  however,  on 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

Mr.  Ellsworth  and  stay'd  there  near  an  hour 
—  reached  Springfield  by  4  oVlock,  and 
while  dinner  was  getting,  examined  the  Con- 
tinental Stores  at  this  place.  A  Col^.  Worth- 
ington,  Col°.  Williams,  Adjutant  General  of 
the  State  of  Massachusetts,  Gen.  Shepherd, 
Mr.  Lyman  and  many  other  Gentlemen  sat 
an  hour  or  two  with  me  in  the  evening  at 
Parson's  Tavern,  where  I  lodged,  and  which 
is  a  good  House." 

Until  ten  years  ago  this  building  stood  at 
the  west  end  of  Court  street  though  sadly 
shorn  of  its  barns,  sheds  and  dance-hall,  all 
of  which  were  prominent  features  in  Wash- 
ington's day.  At  that  time  it  was  a  huge, 
rambling,  unpainted  structure  with  a  lofty 
wing,  which,  when  afterwards  detached,  was 
called  the  "  light-house."  Zenas  Parsons 
was  succeeded  as  landlord  by  Eleazer  Will- 
iams and  when  James  Monroe  came  to 
Springfield,  early  in  his  presidency,  he 
found  John  Bennett  in  charge.  Soon  after- 
wards, the  property  was  sold  to  Erastus 
Chapin,  and,  in  18 19,  a  company  of  public- 
spirited  townspeople  bought  its  site  for  a 
square  and  moved  the  main  part  of  the  old 
tavern  to  its  last  resting-place  at  the  foot  of 
I         Court  Street. 

IS7 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

For  the  President's  party  in  1789,  Palmer 
was  the  next  stop,  breakfast  being  taken  "  at 
the  House  of  one  Scott."  This  tavern  is 
sometimes  called  "  Scots  at  the  Elbow," 
probably  from  its  situation  near  the  "  ford  " 
afterwards  the  "  bridge "  over  the  Quabog 
river.  It  was  for  many  years  a  very  famous 
inn. 

Brookfield  came  next  in  the  itinerary  and 
the  tavern  which  had  the  honour  of  enter- 
taining Washington  at  dinner  (October  23, 
1789)  is  still  standing,  near  the  centre  of 
West  Brookfield  village,  directly  on  the 
main  street.  Built  in  1760  by  David  Hitch- 
cock, it  was  occupied  by  him  as  a  hostelry 
till  181 1.  He,  therefore,  was  the  host  at 
Washington's  visit.  Ten  years  later  he  en- 
tertained for  the  night  another  President, 
John  Adams,  on  his  way  to  Quincy,  his 
home-town.  Lafayette  was  entertained  here 
in  1825  ^^d  there  is  a  tradition  that  Jerome 
Bonaparte  and  his  lovely  American  wife 
passed  a  night  here  soon  after  their  mar- 
riage. Nowadays  the  tavern  is  a  favourite 
resort  of  automobile  parties,  who  find  its 
combination  of  old-time  atmosphere  with 
modern  improvements,  of  fragrant  tradi- 
tions   with    excellent    food    very    attractive. 

158 


Taverns  That  Entertained  JVashington 

This  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  few  "  taverns 
that  entertained  Washington  "  which  I  can 
cordially  recommend  to  the  twentieth-cen- 
tury wayfarer.  Most  of  them  are  not  inns 
any  longer,  and  of  such  as  are,  the  least  said 
the  better,  —  too  often. 

From  Brookfield,  —  where  the  President 
received  an  "  Express  which  was  sent  to  me 
by  Govr.  Hancock  giving  notice  of  the  meas- 
ures he  was  about  to  pursue  for  my  recep- 
tion on  the  Road  and  in  Boston,  with  a 
request  to  lodge  at  his  House,"  the  party 
pressed  on  "  to  Spencer,  lo  miles  further, 
and  lodged  at  the  House  of  one  Jenks,  who 
keeps  a  pretty  good  tavern." 

The  bread  at  this  tavern  was  particularly 
good,  if  one  may  trust  the  landlord's  wife; 
she  used  to  tell  the  story  that  the  General 
at  breakfast  remarked,  "  Madanx,  your  bread 
is  very  beautiful." 

"  Commenced  our  course  with  the  Sun," 
says  the  Diary  on  October  23,  "  and  passing 
through  Leicester  met  some  Gentlemen  of 
the  Town  of  Worcester,  on  the  line  between 
it  and  the  former  to  escort  us.  .  .  .  We  were 
received  by  a  handsome  Company  of  Militia 
Artillery  in  Uniform,  who  saluted  with  13 
Guns  on  our  entry  and  departure.     At  this 

159 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

place  also  we  met  a  Committee  from  the 
Town  of  Boston  .  .  .  On  the  Line  between 
Worcester  and  Middlesex  I  was  met  by  a 
troop  of  light  Horse  belonging  to  the  latter, 
who  escorted  me  to  Marlborough,  where 
we  dined,  and  thence  to  Weston  where  we 
lodged." 

Washington's  stopping-place  in  Marlbor- 
ough still  welcomes  guests;  and  to-day,  as 
in  his  time,  it  is  known  as  the  Williams  Tav- 
ern. Erected  in  1665  by  Abraham  Will- 
iams, it  has  ever  since  been  a  popular  resort 
for  travellers.  In  early  days  court  was  held 
here,  and  the  old-time  cells  may  still  be  seen 
in  the  basement  The  Duke  de  la  Roche- 
foucault  was  once  entertained  here,  and 
when  Landlord  Pease  — of  whom  we  have 
already  heard  —  started  his  first  line  of 
mail-coaches  in  1786  this  house  was  one  of 
the  principal  stopping-places  on  the  mail 
route   between   Boston   and  New  York. 

The  Weston  tavern  patronized  by  Wash- 
ington in  1789  was  that  of  John  Flagg. 

"  On  October  24,"  the  Diary  continues, 
"  dressed  by  Seven  o'clock,  and  set  out  at 
eight — at  ten  we  arrived  in  Cambridge, 
according  to  appointment;  but  most  of  the 
Militia  having  a  distance  to  come^  were  not 

160 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

in  line  till  after  eleven;  they  made  however 
an  excellent  appearance,  with  Genl.  [John] 
Brooks  at  their  Head.  At  this  place  the 
Lieut.  Govr.  Mr.  Saml.  Adams,  with  the 
Executive  Council,  met  me  and  preceded 
my  entrance  into  town  —  which  was  in  every 
degree  flattering  and  honourable.  To  pass 
over  the  Minutiae  of  the  arrangement  for 
this  purpose,  it  may  suffice  to  say  that  at  the 
entrance  I  was  welcomed  by  the  Selectmen 
in  a  body.  Then  following  the  Liet  Govr. 
and  Council  in  the  order  we  came  from 
Cambridge  (preceded  by  the  Town  Corps, 
very  handsomely  dressed),  we  passed  through 
the  Citizens  classed  in  their  different  pro- 
fessions, and  under  their  own  banners,  till 
we  came  to  the  State  House;  from  which 
across  the  Street  an  Arch  was  thrown;  in 
the  front  of  which  was  this  Inscription  — 
*  To  the  Man  who  unites  all  hearts '  —  and 
on  the  other  —  *  To  Columbia's  favorite 
Son'  —  and  on  one  side  thereof  next  the 
State  House,  in  a  pannel  decorated  with  a 
trophy,  composed  of  the  Arms  of  the  United 
States  —  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts—  and  our  French  Allies,  crowned 
with  a  wreath  of  Laurel^  was  this  Inscrip- 
tion—  *  Boston  relieved  March  17th,  1776.' 

161 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

This  Arch  was  handsomely  ornamented,  and 
over  the  Center  of  it  a  Canopy  was  erected 
20  feet  high,  with  the  American  Eagle 
perched  on  the  top.  After  passing  through 
the  Arch,  and  entering  the  State  House  at 
the  S^  End  and  ascending  to  the  upper 
floor  and  returning  to  a  Balcony  at  the  N^ 
end;  three  cheers  was  given  by  a  vast  con- 
course of  people  who  by  this  time  had  as- 
sembled at  the  Arch  —  then  followed  an  ode 
composed  in  honour  of  the  President;  and 
well  sung  by  a  band  of  select  singers  — 
after  this  three  Cheers  —  followed  by  the 
different  Professions  and  Mechanics  in  the 
order  they  were  drawn  up  with  their  col- 
ours through  a  lane  of  the  People,  which 
had  thronged  abt.  the  Arch  under  which 
they  passed.  The  Streets,  the  Doors,  win- 
dows and  tops  of  the  Houses  were  crowded 
with  well  dressed  Ladies  and  Gentlemen. 
The  procession  being  over,  I  was  conducted 
to  my  lodgings  at  a  Widow  IngersoU's, 
(which  is  a  very  decent  and  good  house)  by 
the  Lieut.  Govr.  and  Council  —  accom- 
panied by  the  Vice  President,  where  they 
took  leave  of  me.  Having  engaged  yester- 
day to  take  an  informal  dinner  with  the 
Govr.  [John  Hancock]  to-day,  but  under  a 

162 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

full  persuasion  that  he  would  have  waited 
upon  me  so  soon  as  I  should  have  arrived 
—  I  excused  myself  upon  his  not  doing  it, 
and  informing  me  thro'  his  Secretary  that 
he  was  too  much  indisposed  to  do  it,  being 
resolved  to  receive  the  visit.  Dined  at  my 
Lodgings,  where  the  Vice-President  favored 
me  with  his  Company." 

"Oct.  25.  —  Attended  Divine  Service  at 
the  Episcopal  Church  whereof  Dr.  Parker  is 
the  Incumbent  in  the  forenoon  and  the  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Mr.  Thatcher  in  the 
afternoon.  Dined  at  my  lodgings  with  the 
Vice-President.  Mr.  Bowdoin  accompanied 
me  to  both  Churches.  Between  the  two  I 
received  a  visit  from  the  Govr.  who  assured 
me  that  indisposition  alone  prevented  his 
doing  it  yesterday,  and  that  he  was  still  in- 
disposed; but  as  it  had  been  suggested  that 
he  expected  to  receive  the  visit  from  the 
President  which  he  knew  was  improper,  he 
was  resolved  at  all  haz'ds  to  pay  his  Com- 
pliments to-day. 

"  Oct.  26.  —  The  day  being  Rainy  and 
Stormy,  myself  much  disordered  by  a  cold 
and  inflammation  in  the  left  eye,  I  was  pre- 
vented from  visiting  Lexington  (where  the 
first  blood  in  the  dispute  with  G.  Brit'n  was 

163 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

drawn).  Rec'd  the  Complim'ts  of  many 
visits  today.  Mr.  Dalton  and  Genl.  Cobb 
dined  with  me,  and  in  the  Evening  drank 
Tea  with  Govr.  Hancock  and  called  upon 
Mr.  Bowdoin  on  my  return  to  my  lodgings. 

"  Oct.  27.  —  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing received  the  visits  of  the  Clergy  of  the 
Town;  at  eleven  I  went  to  an  Oratorio  (at 
King's  Chapel)  and  between  that  and  3 
o'clock  rec'd  the  Addresses  of  the  Govr.  and 
Council  —  of  the  Town  of  Boston  —  of  the 
President  etc.  of  Harvard  College  and  of 
the  Cincinnati  of  the  State;  after  wch  at 
3  o'clock  I  dined  at  a  large  and  elegant  Din- 
ner at  Faneuil  Hall,  given  by  the  Govr. 
and  Council,  and  spent  the  evening  at  my 
lodgings." 

The  evident  satisfaction  with  which  Wash- 
ington throughout  his  Boston  stay  refers  to 
"  my  lodgings "  is  particularly  interesting 
when  one  recalls  that  underneath  this  phrase 
lurks  a  sly  thrust  at  pompous  John  Hancock. 
On  the  raw  chill  day  of  the  President's  ar- 
rival the  Governor's  suite  and  a  throng  of 
the  townspeople  were  on  hand  to  welcome 
him,  but  the  Governor  himself  failed  to 
put  in  an  appearance.  He  did  not  wish  to 
recognize   a   superior   personage   within   his 

164 


Taverns  That  Entertained  IVashington 

official    jurisdiction!      Consequently    he    al- 
lowed the  crowds  to  contract  what  was  for 
years    known    as    "the    Washington    cold" 
while  awaiting  him.     But  Washington  had 
as  high  a  sense  of  personal  dignity  as  did 
Hancock;    he  had  also  a  much  nicer  appre- 
ciation of  when  it  is  improper  to  show  per- 
sonal pique.     Finally,  therefore,  he  rode  be- 
tween the  throngs  on  State  street,  past  the 
State  House  to  his  cold  dinner  at  Mrs.  In- 
gersolPs  on  Tremont  street  near  what  is  now 
Scollay  square.     And  there  all  that  day  he 
kept  his  room,   refusing  flatly  an  invitation 
to  dine  with  Hancock.    The  following  morn- 
ing  the   Governor    realized   his    fiasco    and, 
though  suffering  from  gout,  caused  himself 
to   be   carried   to   IngersoU's   to   present  his 
apologies  in  person.     Madame  Hancock  al- 
ways  insisted   that  her  husband  was   really 
too   ill   to   leave   his   house   on    the    day   of 
Washington's  entry,  but  the  impression  that 
Hancock   intended   to   slight   the   man   who 
had   been   elevated,    instead   of   him,   to   the 
place  of  President  has  none  the  less  endured. 
The  one  person  who  came  out  of  the  affair 
with  flying  colours  appears  to  have  been  the 
cook  at  Ingersoll's  who,  at  the  last  minute, 
secured  some  very  excellent  fish  for  the  dis- 

i6s 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

tinguished  guest's   dinner   and  so  saved  the 
credit  of  Boston  hospitality. 

The  boarding-house  thus  honoured  stood 
at  the  juncture  of  Tremont  and  Court  streets 
for  many  years.  If  its  walls  could  have 
spoken,  we  should  have  for  quotation  a  de- 
licious description  of  that  historic  encounter 
between  Hancock  and  Washington  the  day 
after  the  President's  arrival!  The  visit  was 
preceded  by  the  following  note: 

"  Sunday  26th  October, 
"  half-past  twelve  o'clock. 
"  The  Governor's  best  respects  to  the 
President.  If  at  home  and  at  leisure,  the 
Governor  will  do  himself  the  honor  to  pay 
his  respects  in  half  an  hour.  This  would 
have  been  done  much  sooner  had  his  health 
in  any  degree  permitted.  He  now  hazards 
everything,  as  it  respects  his  health,  for  the 
desirable  purpose." 

To  which  the  President  replied:  — 

"  Sunday,  26th  October,  one  o'clock. 
"  The  President  of  the  United  States  pre- 
sents his  best  respects  to  the  Governor,  and 
has  the  honor  to  inform  him  that  he  shall 

166 


Taverns  That  Entertained  PFashington 

be  at  home  till  two  o'clock.  The  President 
need  not  express  the  pleasure  it  will  give 
him  to  see  the  Governor;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  he  most  earnestly  begs  that  the  Gov- 
ernor will  not  hazard  his  health  on  the  occa- 
sion." 

When  Hancock  arrived,  swathed  in  red 
flannel,  and  was  carried  by  two  men  into  the 
President's  drawing-room  Washington  was 
most  gracious,  however.  He  gave  full 
weight  to  the  excuse  of  unmerciful  gout  and, 
in  the  afternoon,  returned  the  visit  with  all 
courteous  haste.  But  he  returned  to  his 
lodgings  to  sleep,  though  Hancock  had  ex- 
tended, and  he  had  accepted,  an  invitation  to 
be  his  guest  while  in  Boston. 

Salem  was  the  next  town  which  the  Pres- 
ident honoured  with  his  presence  for  a 
time.  His  description  of  the  journey  thither 
is  interesting:  "October  29.  Left  Boston 
about  8  o'clock.  Passed  over  the  Bridge  at 
Charles-town,  and  went  to  see  that  at  Mai- 
den, but  proceeded  to  the  College  at  Cam- 
bridge, attended  by  the  Vice-President,  Mr. 
Bowdoin,  and  a  great  number  of  Gentle- 
men. .  .  .  From  Boston,  besides  the  number 
of  citizens  which  accompanied  me  to  Cam- 

167 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

bridge,  and  many  of  them  from  thence  to 
Lynn  —  the  Boston  Corps  of  Horse  escorted 
me  to  the  line  between  Middlesex  and  Essex 
County,  where  a  party  of  horse  with  Genl 
Titcomb  met  me  and  conducted  me  through 
Marblehead  to  Salem.  ...  At  the  Bridge, 
2  miles  from  this  town,  we  were  also  met  by 
a  Committee,  who  conducted  us  by  a  Bri- 
gade of  the  Militia  and  one  or  two  hand- 
some Corps  in  Uniform,  through  several  of 
the  streets  to  the  Town  or  Court  House, 
where  an  Ode  in  honor  of  the  President 
was  sung  —  an  Address  presented  to  him 
amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  People;  after 
which  he  was  conducted  to  his  Lodgings. 
Rec'd  the  Compliments  of  many  different 
classes  of  People  and  in  the  evening,  be- 
tween 7  and  8  o'clock  went  to  an  Assembly, 
where  there  was  at  least  an  hundred  hand- 
some and  well-dressed  Ladies.  Abt.  nine  re- 
turned to  my  Lodgings." 

The  house  from  whose  balcony  Washing- 
ton made  his  first  bow  to  Salem'  people  was 
that  of  Abijah  Northey.  But  he  passed  the 
night  at  the  private  residence  of  Joshua 
Ward,  —  a  building  now  numbered  148 
Washington  street,  —  in  a  room  on  the  sec- 
ond story  behind  the  ivy-covered  wall.    To- 

168 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

day  the  place  is  called  Hotel  Washington,  in 
honour  of  the  distinguished  visitor  it  once 
entertained. 

Washington  went  to  Ipswich  also.  In  the 
Diary  we  find  the  following  allusions  to  his 
visit:  "  Friday  October  30,  1789.  From 
this  place  (Beverly)  with  escorts  of  Horse 
I  passed  on  to  Ipswich,  about  ten  miles;  at 
the  entrance  of  which  I  was  met  and  wel- 
comed by  the  Selectmen,  and  received  by  a 
Regm't  of  Militia.  At  this  place  I  was  met 
by  Mr.  Dalton  and  some  other  gentlemen 
from  Newburyport;  partook  of  a  cold  col- 
lation and  proceeded  on  to  the  last-men- 
tioned place,  where  I  was  received  with 
much  respect  and  parade  about  four  o'clock." 

J.  B.  Felt,  the  Ipswich  historian,  writing 
in  1834  while  many  still  remembered  the 
particulars  of  Washington's  visit,  remarks: 
'^  George  Washington  is  escorted  into  town, 
receives  a  short  address;  dines  at  the  inn, 
then  kept  by  Mrs.  Homans;  reviews  a  regi- 
ment mustered  to  honor  him;  is  visited  by 
many;  stays  three  hours  and  leaves  for  New- 
bury, through  lines  of  a  multitude  compris- 
ing both  sexes  of  all  ages,  who  had  assem- 
bled to  give  him,  with  deep  emotions  of 
gratitude,  a  welcome  and  a  parting  look." 

169 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  Ipswich  tavern  thus  honoured  above 
its  fellows  was  built  in  1693  or  thereabouts, 
and  was  j&rst  used  as  a  tavern  in  1724  by 
Increase  How,  whose  widowed  daughter, 
Susanna  Swasey,  there  carried  on  the  inn 
for  many  years,  marrying  meanwhile  Capt. 
George  Stacey  of  Marblehead  (June  30, 
1763)  and  afterwards,  Capt.  Richard  Ro- 
man of  the  same  town.  Upon  Mrs.  Roman's 
death,  her  stepson,  George  Stacey  of  Bidde- 
ford,  conveyed  to  her  son.  Major  Joseph 
Swasey,  his  interest  in  the  tavern.  The 
major  had  served  with  honour  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  Swasey's  Tavern  was 
for  many  years  a  notable  feature  of  the  town. 
Its  taverner  was  town  clerk  as  well  and  be- 
cause of  his  sudden  death  during  the  prog- 
ress of  a  town  meeting  (April,  18 16)  was 
long  remembered  in  Ipswich.  In  1805,  his 
tavern  became  the  property  of  John  Reard, 
whose  son  Augustine  sold  the  place  to  Zenas 
Gushing,  from  whose  heirs  it  was  purchased 
by  Dr.  William  E.  Tucker,  the  present 
owner.  Originally  the  house  was  three- 
storied  and  hip-roofed,  but  it  has  been  so 
remodelled  that  no  trace  of  its  antiquity 
remains. 

In  Newburyport,  Washington  was  greeted 
170 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

with  overwhelming  enthusiasm.  The  Essex 
Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet  of 
November  fourth  reports  the  visit  thus, 
"Friday  last  the  BELOVED  PRESI- 
DENT OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
made  his  entry  into  this  town;  and  never 
did  a  person  appear  here,  who  more  largely 
shared  the  affection  and  esteem  of  its  citi- 
zens. He  was  escorted  here  by  two  com- 
panies of  cavalry,  from  Ipswich  and  An- 
dover,  Marshall  Jackson,  the  High  Sheriff 
of  the  County  of  Essex,  the  Hon.  Tristram 
Dalton,  Esq.,  Major  General  Titcomb,  and 
a  number  of  other  officers,  as  well  as  several 
gentlemen  from  this  and  neighboring  towns. 
On  his  drawing  near,  he  was  saluted  with 
thirteen  discharges  from  the  artillery  after 
which,  a  number  of  young  gentlemen  placed 
themselves  before  him,  and  sang  as  follows: 

"'He  comes!  he  comes!   the  Hero  comes! 

Sound,  sound  your  trumpets,  beat,  beat  your  drums; 
From  pqrt  to  port  let  cannons  roar. 
He's  welcome  to  New  England  shore. 
Welcome,  welcome,  welcome,  welcome 
Welcome  to  New  England's  shore.* 

"  The  lines  in  the  first  verse  which  call  for 
the  beating  of  drums  and  roaring  of  cannon 

171 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

were  instantly  obeyed  after  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  each  word:  and  to  the  vocal  was 
joined  all  the  instrumental  music  in  both 
choruses,  which  were  repeated :  —  Then  the 
President,  preceded  by  the  several  compa- 
nies of  Militia  and  artillery  of  this  town,  the 
musicians,  selectmen.  High  Sheriff,  and 
Marshall  Jackson,  .  .  .  passed  to  the  house 
prepared  for  his  reception.  Here  a  feu  de 
joy  was  fired  by  several  companies  of  mili- 
tia." 

The  Newburyport  house  which  extended 
hospitality  to  Washington  is  still  standing, 
and  is  now  the  public  library  of  the  town. 
Up  to  the  time  of  Washington's  visit,  its 
owner  had  been  Nathaniel  Tracy,  an  inter- 
esting character  who  made  vast  sums  during 
the  Revolutionary  War  from  his  fleet  of 
privateers.  Besides  this  elegant  home  on 
State  street,  he  at  one  time  owned  Craigie 
House  in  Cambridge,  well  known  as  Wash- 
ington's headquarters  and  the  home  of  the 
poet  Longfellow.  Tracy's  cellars  were  al- 
ways stocked  with  the  choicest  wines  and  all 
the  appointments  of  his  table  were  sumptu- 
ous in  the  extreme.  Thomas  Jefferson  often 
stayed  with  him,  and  many  other  distin- 
guished  people   were    glad    to   visit   at   his 

172 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

home.  But,  just  before  Washington's  visit, 
he  became  hopelessly  involved  in  financial 
difficulties  and  selling  his  estates,  retired  to 
his  farm-mansion  near-by.  Thus  it  was  that 
the  house  which  his  father,  Patrick  Tracy, 
had  built  for  him,  passed  temporarily  into 
the  hands  of  the  Honourable  Jonathan  Jack- 
son, Patrick's  son-in-law;  and  since  it  was 
to  Jackson's  care  as  United  States  marshal 
that  arrangements  for  Washington's  Massa- 
chusetts visit  had  been  entrusted,  some  of 
the  unoccupied  rooms  in  this  house  were 
furnished  and  made  ready  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  town's  eminent  visitor. 

From  Newburyport  the  President  pro- 
ceeded to  Portsmouth  ^^  and  was  received," 
says  the  Diary,  ^^  by  the  President  of  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent, some  of  the  Council  —  Messrs  Lang- 
don  and  Wingate  of  the  Senate,  Col^  Parker, 
Marshall  of  the  State  and  many  other  re- 
spectable characters;  besides  several  Troops 
of  well  cloathed  Horse  in  handsome  Uni- 
forms and  many  officers  of  the  Militia  also 
in  handsome  (red  and  white)  uniforms  of 
the  Manufacture  of  the  State.  With  this 
cavalcade  we  proceeded,  and  arrived  before 
3  o'clock  at  Portsmouth  where  we  were  re- 

173 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ceived  with  every  token  of  respect  and  ap- 
pearance of  cordiality,  under  a  discharge 
of  artillery.  The  streets,  doors  and  windows 
were  crowded  here  as  at  all  the  other  places; 
and  alighting  at  the  Town  House  odes  were 
sung  and  played  in  honor  of  the  President. 
The  same  happened  yesterday  at  my  entrance 
into  Newbury  port.  .  .  .  From  the  Town 
House  I  went  to  Colonel  Brewster's  Ta'n, 
the  place  provided  for  my  residence."  This 
house  is  no  longer  standing,  having  burnt 
down  in  1813  after  a  very  interesting  and 
varied  career  described  at  length  in  the 
chapter   devoted   to   Portsmouth   Taverns. 

In  none  of  the  New  England  towns  he 
visited,  did  Washington  enjoy  himself  more 
than  at  Portsmouth.  On  the  evening  of  his 
arrival  the  State  House  was  beautifully  il- 
luminated and  rockets  were  let  off  from  the 
balcony.  The  next  morning  found  him  at- 
tending divine  service  at  the  Queen's  Chapel, 
and  in  the  afternoon  he  listened  to  a  lauda- 
tory address  delivered  by  Dr.  Buckminster 
at  the  North  Church.  On  Monday  the 
President  went  on  an  excursion  down  the 
harbour  in  a  barge  rowed  by  seamen  dressed 
in  white  frocks  and  accompanied  by  another 
barge    containing   an    amateur   band   which 

174 


Taverns  That  Entertained  IVashington 

"  did  their  possible "  at  frequent  intervals. 
The  Diary  says  that  "  having  lines,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  the  fishing  banks  a  little  without 
the  harbor  and  fished  for  cod,  —  but  it  not 
being  of  proper  time  of  tide,  we  only  caught 
two,  —  with  which  about  ten  o'clock  we  re- 
turned to  town." 

Of  those  two  trophies  Washington  drew 
from  the  water  but  one.  The  other  was 
hooked  by  Zebulon  Willey,  who  was  fishing 
in  the  vicinity  and  who,  when  he  observed 
the  President's  bad  luck,  came  alongside  and 
handed  over  his  line  with  a  big  one  already 
on  it  waiting  to  be  hauled  in.  It  proved 
to  be  a  very  good  pull  for  Zebulon,  for  the 
President  gave  him  a  silver  dollar  and  all 
his  after  life  he  had  a  first-rate  fish  story 
to  tell. 

When  the  lines  had  been  finally  drawn  up, 
the  distinguished  guest  was  rowed  by  the 
white-jacketed  sailors  straight  to  the  hos- 
pitable vine-hung  door,  at  Little  Harbour, 
of  Colonel  Michael  Wentworth  and  his 
wife  who  had  been  Martha  Hilton.  From 
this  point  they  returned  to  town  by  carriages, 
passing,  on  the  way,  the  residence  of  Cap- 
tain John  Blunt  who  had  first  met  Washing- 
ton on  the  famous  "  Crossing  the  Delaware  " 

175 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

occasion.  Blunt  had  for  many  years  owned 
and  sailed  a  coasting-vessel  which  plied  be- 
tween Portsmouth  and  Philadelphia,  and  he 
knew  the  Delaware  nearly  as  well  as  the 
Piscataqua.  Accordingly,  when  Washing- 
ton, that  winter  day,  observed  the  floating 
ice  of  the  river,  and  asked  if  there  were  no 
one  in  the  boat  acquainted  with  the  stream, 
Blunfs  name  was  immediately  spoken,  and 
he  was  personally  requested  by  the  Presi- 
dent to  take  the  helm.  Undoubtedly,  there- 
fore, there  were  pleasant  reminiscences  in- 
terchanged when  the  President  and  his  pilot 
met  again  in  1789  on  the  Little  Harbour 
road.  Dinner  and  tea  that  day  were  taken 
at  the  beautiful  Langdon  home. 

The  President  sat  two  long  hours  for  his 
portrait  the  next  morning,  after  which  he 
called  on  President  Sullivan  at  the  famous 
Stavers  Inn.  Thence  he  proceeded  to  the 
home  of  his  secretary,  Tobias  Lear,  to  pay 
his  respects  to  that  gentleman's  aged  mother. 
The  crowd  about  the  door  while  this  ex- 
traordinary event  was  going  on  is  said  to 
have  been  the  greatest  Portsmouth  has  ever 
known.  And  well  it  might  be;  you  and  I 
would  have  been  eager  also  to  catch  some 
glimpse  of  the  party  in  the  southwest  par- 

176 


Taverns  That  Entertained  JVashington 

lour  of  the  old  Lear  house  during  that  de- 
lightful hour  when  the  President  held  the 
little  relatives  of  his  favourite  private  sec- 
retary upon  his  knee  and  talked  to  the  ven- 
erable Mrs.  Lear  of  her  son's  admirable 
service.  Lear,  to  be  sure,  had  not  always 
been  a  man  up  to  Washington's  standard  of 
punctuality.  He  apologized  to  his  employer 
twice  in  a  very  few  weeks  for  tardiness  by 
explaining  that  his  watch  was  wrong;  but 
Washington  had  replied,  "  Mr.  Lear,  you 
must  get  a  new  watch,  or  I  must  get  a  new 
secretary,"  and  the  secretary  saw  the  point. 

The  evening  following  the  call  at  the 
Lears'  found  the  President  at  "  the  Assem- 
bly, where  there  were  about  seventy-five  well 
dressed  and  many  very  handsome  ladies, 
among  whom  (as  was  also  the  case  at  the 
Salem  and  Boston  assemblies)  were  a  greater 
proportion  with  much  blacker  hair  than  are 
usually  seen  in  the  southern  States."  Early 
the  next  morning  the  honoured  guests  quietly 
left  town  "  having  earnestly  entreated  that 
all  parade  and  ceremony  might  be  avoided 
on  my  return.  Before  ten  I  reached  Exeter, 
fourteen  miles  distance.  This  is  considered 
as  the  second  town  in  New  Hampshire  and 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  tide  waters  of  the 

177 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Piscataqua  river.  .  ,  .  It  is  a  place  of  some 
consequence,  but  does  not  contain  more  than 
one  thousand  inhabitants.  A  jealousy  sub- 
sists between  this  town  (where  the  Legisla- 
ture alternately  sits)  and  Portsmouth,  which 
had  I  known  it  in  time,  would  have  made 
it  necessary  to  have  accepted  an  invitation 
to  a  public  dinner;  but  my  arrangements 
having  been  otherwise  made  I  could  not." 

Haverhill,  therefore,  was  the  next  town 
whose  hospitality  the  cavalcade  accepted. 
The  account  of  this  visit  which  has  come 
down  to  us  from  the  graphic  pen  of  George 
Wingate  Chase,  makes  very  interesting  read- 
ing. The  President  journeyed  in  an  open 
carriage,  he  tells  us,  drawn  by  four  horses 
accompanied  only  by  his  secretary,  Mr. 
Lear,  Major  Jackson  and  a  single  servant. 
Mr.  Lear,  upon  a  beautiful  white  horse, 
rode  in  advance  of  the  carriage,  which  was 
occupied  by  Washington  and  Mr.  Jackson, 
and  driven  by  the  President's  private  coach- 
man. The  tavern  used  was  variously  called 
"  Mason's  Arms,"  from  its  sign  of  free- 
masonry, and  Harrod's,  after  its  proprietor; 
it  stood  on  what  became  later  the  site  of  the 
Town  Hall.  The  President  had  been  ear- 
nestly invited  to  be  the  guest  of  Mr.  John 

178 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

White,  whose  daughter  had  often  been  a 
visitor  at  his  own  home  in  Philadelphia,  but 
in  Haverhill,  as  so  often  before  during  this 
journey,  he  expressed  his  preference  for  a 
public  house,  observing  with  a  smile  that  he 
was  "  an  old  soldier  and  used  to  hard  fare 
and  a  hard  bed." 

On  alighting  at  the  tavern,  he  was  intro- 
duced to  a  number  of  the  town's  prominent 
citizens  and  then,  after  a  short  rest,  he  took 
a  walk  to  see  the  sights  of  the  place,  remark- 
ing repeatedly,  as  he  made  his  way  along 
the  street  now  named  after  him,  upon  the 
pleasantness  and  beauty  of  the  scenery,  the 
thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens.  "  Haver- 
hill is  the  pleasantest  village  I  have  passed 
through,"  he  delighted  his  entertainers  by 
observing. 

With  Washington's  stay  here  is  associated 
more  of  those  charming  stories  about  his 
fondness  for  children.  Among  his  visitors 
with  their  fathers,  were  Mary  White  and 
Betsey  Shaw,  two  bright  little  maidens  of 
eight  who  were  playmates  and  fast  friends. 
While  engaged  in  easy  conversation  with  the 
gentlemen,  the  President  called  the  little 
girls  to  him,  and  taking  one  upon  each  knee, 
soon   completely  dispelled   their  shyness  by 

179 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

his  kind  words  and  gentle  manner.  During 
the  interview  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
glove  and  smilingly  inquired,  "  Which  of 
the  little  misses  will  mend  my  glove?" 
Both  were  naturally  eager  for  the  honour, 
so  they  were  told  to  do  it  between  them  and 
given  each  a  hearty  kiss  upon  the  lips  when 
they  returned  the  glove,  neatly  repaired, 
half  an  hour  later.  The  news  of  this  reward 
spread  rapidly,  and  not  long  after  the  visit- 
ors' departure,  there  came  a  timid  knock 
at  the  door,  and  two  more  little  maidens 
entered,  requesting  permission  to  kiss  the 
President's  hand.  Washington  saw  the 
point,  and  gladly  expressed  willingness  to 
exchange  kisses  with  the  little  beggars.  His 
duties  towards  the  children  of  Haverhill 
were  not  yet  all  performed,  however,  for 
scarcely  had  he  retired  to  his  room,  —  early, 
in  accordance  with  his  usual  custom, — 
when  he  heard  a  great  uproar  downstairs 
and  learned  that  it  proceeded  from  a  small 
boy  who  said  he  '*  must  see  George  Wash- 
ington." Doubtless,  the  little  fellow  had 
listened  to  so  many  stories  from  his  mother's 
lips  about  the  "  great  Washington  "  that  he 
expected  to  find  the  President  some  super- 
human thing.     At  all  events  he  only  stared 

i8o 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

dumbly  when  let  into  Washington's  pres- 
ence. Very  kindly  he  was  asked  what  he 
wanted. 

"  I  want  to  see  George  Washington," 
stammered  the  little  fellow. 

The  President  smiled.  "  I  am  George 
Washington,"  he  said,  patting  the  lad's  head 
gently,  "  but,  my  little  friend,  I  am  only  a 
man!* 

The  landlord's  little  daughter,  too,  w^on 
a  kiss  that  night  for  deftly  applying  the 
family  warming-pan  to  the  "  best  bed  ^'  in 
Washington's  room. 

Yet  better  than  any  of  these  stories  about 
children  one  likes,  I  think,  the  incident  at- 
tending Washington's  departure  on  the  ferry- 
boat early  the  next  morning.  Among  those 
who  had  tried  hard  to  obtain  an  interview 
with  the  President  was  Bart  Pecker,  an  old 
soldier  who  had  been  in  the  famous  "  Wash- 
ington Life  Guards,"  but  who,  with  decli- 
ning years,  had  become  so  addicted  to  drink 
that  he  was  not  regarded  as  a  credit  to  the 
community.  Although  he  pleaded  hard  for 
a  chance  to  speak  to  Washington,  whom  he 
declared  he  was  "  well  acquainted  with  "  he 
was  purposely  kept  in  the  background  on 
account  of  his   habits   and   shabby   appear- 

i8i 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ance.  But  just  as  Washington  was  stepping 
upon  the  ferry-boat  Bart's  patience  gave  way 
and  with  a  fierce  ejaculation  that  he  would 
"  speak  to  the  General,"  he  pushed  through 
the  crowd  and  thrusting  out  his  hand,  cried 
excitedly,  "  General,  how  do  you  do?  " 

Apparently  Washington  recognized  the 
voice  for,  turning  quickly,  he  grasped  the 
outstretched  hand  and,  quietly  slipping  a 
gold-piece  into  it,  said,  ^'  Bart,  is  this  you? 
Good-bye,  good-bye." 

From  Haverhill  the  distinguished  party 
journeyed  to  "  Abbot's  tavern  in  Andover, 
where  we  breakfasted,  and  met  with  much 
attention  from  Mr.  Phillips,  President  of 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  who  accom- 
panied us  through  ...  to  Lexington  where 
I  dined,  and  viewed  the  spot  on  which  the 
first  blood  was  spilt  in  the  dispute  with 
Great  Britain,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775. 
Here  I  parted  with  Mr.  Phillips  and  pro- 
ceeded on  to  Watertown.  .  .  .  We  lodged 
in  this  place  at  the  house  of  a  Widow  Cool- 
idge  near  the  Bridge,  and  a  very  indifferent 
one  it  is."  The  Andover  tavern  was  excel- 
lent, however,  and  there  is  a  very  pretty 
story  of  Washington's  stay  there.  His  rid- 
ing-glove  had   again   become    torn    and   he 

182 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

asked  his  landlord's  little  daughter  to  mend 
it  for  him.  This  she  did  so  neatly  that, 
when  she  returned  the  glove,  Washington 
took  her  upon  his  knee  and  gave  her  a  kiss. 
Which  so  elated  Miss  Priscilla  Abbott  that 
she  would  not  allow  her  face  to  be  washed 
again  for  a  week!  This  old  tavern,  long  the 
residence  of  Samuel  Locke,  is  still  standing, 
and  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation 
though  no  longer  used  for  the  entertainment 
of  the  public. 

Needham,  Sherburn,  Holliston,  Milford 
and  Menden  were  the  places  next  along  the 
route,  and  by  the  end  of  this  day  (Novem- 
ber 6)  the  party  has  reached  Taft's  at  Ux- 
bridge,  having  travelled  thirty-six  miles. 
Taft's  inn  made  a  very  good  impression 
upon  the  President;  we  find  him  writing, 
the  day  after  his  stay  there,  this  character- 
istic letter  to  the  proprietor: 

"  Hartford  8  November,  1789 
"Sir — Being  informed  that  you  have 
given  my  name  to  one  of  your  sons,  and 
called  another  after  Mrs.  Washington's  fam- 
ily, and  being,  moreover,  very  much  pleased 
with  the  modest  and  innocent  looks  of  your 
two   daughters,   Patty  and   Polly^   I   do   for 

183 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

these  reasons  send  each  of  these  girls  a  piece 
of  chintz;  and  to  Patty,  who  bears  the  name 
of  Mrs.  Washington,  and  who  waited  more 
upon  us  than  Polly  did,  I  send  five  guineas, 
with  which  she  may  buy  herself  any  little 
ornaments  she  may  want,  or  she  may  dis- 
pose of  them  in  any  other  manner  more 
agreeable  to  herself.  As  I  do  not  give  these 
things  with  a  view  to  have  it  talked  of,  or 
even  to  its  being  known,  the  less  there  is  said 
about  it  the  better  you  will  please  me;  but 
that  I  may  be  sure  the  chintz  and  money 
have  got  safe  to  hand  let  Patty,  who  I  dare 
say  is  equal  to  it,  write  me  a  line  informing 
me  thereof,  directed  to  ^  The  President  Of 
the  United  States  at  New  York.'  I  wish 
you  and  your  family  well,  and  am  your 
humble   servant,       George  Washington  " 

Jacob's  Inn  in  Thompson,  Connecticut, 
"not  a  good  house;"  Colonel  Grosvenor's 
in  Pomfret  and  Perkins  Tavern  in  Ashford 
are  next  noted  in  the  Diary  which  then  says : 
"  It  being  contrary  to  law  and  disagreeable 
to  the  People  of  this  State  to  travel  on  the 
Sabbath  day  —  and  my  horses,  after  passing 
through  such  intolerable  roads,  wanting 
rest  I  stayed  at  Perkins  Tavern   (which  by 

184 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

the  bye  is  not  a  good  one)  all  day  —  and  a 
meeting-house  being  within  a  few  rods  of 
the  door,  I  attended  morning  and  evening 
service  and  heard  very  lame  discourses  from 
a  Mr.  Pond." 

Washington's  temperate  allusion  to  the 
Connecticut  Blue  laws  does  him  great  credit. 
For  the  tithing-man  who  reminded  him  of 
them  was  not  an  over-courteous  person,  and 
insisted  with  more  stubbornness  than  rever- 
ence that  the  Head  of  the  Nation  pause  in 
his  journey  home  to  observe  the  Sabbath  rest. 
As  for  the  Ashford  Tavern,  it  was  a  good 
house  later  if  not  just  then.  And  it  still 
stands,  though  now  deserted.  Since  1804  it 
has  been  known  as  Clark's  Hotel,  and  for 
more  than  ninety  years  one  of  this  family 
owned  it.  Then,  in  1897,  i^  was  sold  to 
Henry  F.  Hall,  a  wealthy  lawyer  of  Wal- 
lingford,  who  intended  to  make  it  into  a 
commodious  home  for  summer  boarders,  but 
was  prevented  by  illness  from  carrying  out 
his  plan.  Now  the  building  is  becoming  a 
prey  to  the  elements  though  it  is  on  the 
much-travelled  Hartford  and  New  York 
turnpike  and  once,  as  we  have  seen,  enter- 
tained Washington. 

"  The  house  of  one  Fuller  at  Worthing- 

185 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ton,  in  the  township  of  Berlin "  provided 
the  next  breakfast  after  Hartford  had  been 
left  behind,  and  ^'  Smith's  on  the  plains  of 
Wallingford "  was  another  stopping-place. 
New  Haven  was  reached  before  sundown. 
"  At  this  place,"  says  the  Diary,  "  I  met  Mr. 
Elbridge  Gerry  in  the  stage  from  New  York, 
who  gave  me  the  first  cert'n  ac'ct  of  the 
health  of  Mrs.  Washington.  November  ii. 
Set  out  about  sunrise  and  took  the  upper 
road  to  Milford,  it  being  shorter  than  the 
lower  one  through  West  Haven.  Break- 
fasted at  the  former.  Baited  at  Fairfield; 
and  dined  and  lodged  at  Maj.  Marvin's  9 
miles  further.  November  12  —  A  little  be- 
fore sunrise  we  left  Maj.  Marvin's,  and 
breakfasting  at  Stamford,  13  miles  distant, 
reached  the  Widow  Haviland's,  12  miles 
further;  where,  on  acct.  of  some  lame 
horses,  we  remained  all  night." 

The  following  day  finds  the  President 
back  "at  my  house  in  New  York,  where  I 
found  Mrs.  Washington  and  the  rest  of  the 
family  all  well  —  and  it  being  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington's night  to  receive  visits,  a  pretty  large 
company  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  pres- 
sent."  The  "  tour  through  the  Eastern 
States "    had    consumed    almost    exactly    a 

186 


Taverns  That  Entertained  IVashington 

month,  and  had  made  glad,  —  or  sad,  ac- 
cording to  their  deserts,  the  hearts  of  some 
twoscore  landlords. 

Rhode  Island,  it  will  be  noted,  had  had 
no  share  in  this  tour.  The  truth  was  that 
the  citizens  of  that  state  were  a  good  deal 
averse  to  the  new  government  and  did  not 
ratify  the  Constitution  until  May  29,  1790. 
This  done,  however,  their  state  was  at  once 
included  in  the  new  order  of  things,  and  the 
President  determined  to  make  a  short  tour 
there  just  as  he  had  done  to  the  other  parts 
of  New  England. 

Accordingly  we  find  the  Pennsylvania 
Packet  of  August  28,  1790  printing:  "The 
President  arrived  at  Newport  at  eight  o^clock 
on  Tuesday  morning  (August  17)  at  which 
time  he  was  welcomed  to  the  state  by  a 
salute  from  the  fort.  From  the  landing 
place  he  was  attended  to  his  lodgings  by  the 
principal  inhabitants  of  the  town,  who  were 
severally  presented  to  him.  He  then  walked 
round  the  town,  and  surveyed  the  various 
beautiful  prospects  from  the  eminences  above 
it.  At  four  o'clock  he  was  waited  on  by  the 
most  respectable  citizens  of  the  place,  who 
conducted  him  to  the  Town  Hall,  where  a 
very  elegant  dinner  was  provided,  and  sev- 

187 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

eral  toasts  drank.  After  dinner  he  took  an- 
other walk  accompanied  by  a  large  number 
of  gentlemen.  On  Wednesday  morning  at 
nine  o'clock  the  President  and  his  company 
embarked  for  Providence." 

The  ancient  chariot  in  which  Washington 
rode  from  place  to  place  during  his  visit  to 
Providence  is  still  preserved  and  the  Golden 
Ball  Inn  in  which  he  had  his  headquarters 
also  survives.  This  house  was  dedicated  in 
1783,  an  elaborate  advertisement  in  the  Ga- 
zette of  Dec.  13  informing  the  citizens  of 
Providence  that  "  the  Golden  Ball  Inn,  op- 
posite the  State  House,  is  ready  for  guests, 
and  the  proprietor,  Henry  Rice,  is  ready  to 
please  all  who  will  honor  him  with  their 
presence  in  the  new  inn."  Mr.  Rice's  cus- 
tom came  promptly.  The  commanding  posi- 
tion of  the  house,  on  the  hill,  and  its  size 
and  imposing  appearance  drew  to  its  doors 
whatever  rich  and  distinguished  travellers 
might  be  passing  through.  Over  the  en- 
trance door  hung  a  large  beautiful  golden 
ball,  and  within  were  broad  curving  stair- 
cases, and  large  and  sunny  rooms  of  varied 
shape.  One  item  of  equipment  to  which  the 
proprietor    pointed    with    pardonable    pride 


188 


Taverns  That  Entertained  Washington 

was  the  wooden   buttons  by  which   all  the 
doors  could  be  fastened  securely. 

A  famous  early  entertainment  given  in 
this  house  was  the  Lafayette  Ball  of  1784. 
The  young  Marquis  had  brought  over  with 
him  from  France  several  young  gentlemen 
of  aristocratic  birth,  and  they  and  he  were 
promptly  made  free  of  all  the  fine  homes  in 
Providence.  Finally,  as  an  event  of  partic- 
ular elegance,  this  party  at  the  Golden  Ball 
was  arranged.  When  the  evening  arrived 
all  the  beauties  of  the  town  were  on  hand, 
elegant  in  rich  flowered  brocades  over  short, 
quilted  petticoats  of  silk  or  satin,  with 
square-cut  bodices  and  powdered  hair  to  set 
off,  as  did  their  high-heeled  slippers  with 
silver  buckles,  their  exquisite  women's 
charms.  A  miniature  of  one  of  the  guests 
thus  apparelled  has  come  down  to  assure  us 
that  the  Golden  Ball  was  a  famous  resort  in 
its  day.  The  men  at  that  party  were  scarcely 
less  gorgeous,  for  they  wore  silken  hose  and 
knee  breeches  adorned  with  silver  buckles, 
I  while  rich  brocaded  coats,  lace  ruffles  and 
powdered  hair  made  them  still  further  irre- 
sistible. The  ball  room  that  night  was  bril- 
liantly lighted  with  hundreds  of  wax  tapers 
which   shed   their   soft   glow   over   the   gay 

189 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

scene,  and  to  the  music  of  fifes,  bugles  and 
fiddles  Providence  belles  and  the  young 
noblemen  from  o'er  seas  danced  the  flying 
hours  away. 

It  was  therefore,  to  a  house  already  fa- 
mous that  Washington  came  that  August  of 
1790.  The  room  which  he  occupied  on  the 
second  story  was  later  used  by  President 
Monroe  and  President  John  Quincy  Adams 
during  visits  to  Providence,  and  in  1824 
Lafayette  again  stopped  here.  The  name 
of  the  house  has  been  changed  twice  since 
its  salad  days,  first  to  the  Roger  Williams 
House  and  later  to  the  City  Mansion  House, 
generally  known  as  the  Mansion  House. 
Until  within  a  few  years  it  remained  a  house 
of  entertainment  and  it  still  stands,  in  an 
excellent  state  of  preservation  owned  by  a 
man  who  is  very  proud  of  its  connection 
with  Washington. 


190 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  WAYSIDE  INN 

Those  of  us  who  love  the  flavour  of  colo- 
nial days  and  delight  in  surviving  monu- 
ments of  that  time  cannot  be  too  thankful 
for  the  preservation  and  continued  use  as 
an  inn  of  the  Red  Horse  Tavern  in  Sud- 
bury. Sudbury  was  a  great  tavern  town 
originally,  and  Longfellow,  when  he  spoke 
of  Landlord  Howe's  establishment  simply 
as  "  a  "  wayside  inn  was  giving  it  a  perfectly 
correct  description.  For  it  was  then  only 
one  of  many.  But,  through  the  genius  of  the 
Poet  of  America  this  tavern  has  since  be- 
come ^^  the  **  Wayside  Inn,  the  most  widely 
known  and  deeply  loved  of  all  the  old  tav- 
erns in  New  England. 

Happily  it  is  really  old  and  undeniably 
quaint.  Sudbury  was  one  of  the  first  towns 
settled  by  our  Puritan  forbears,  Rev.  Ed- 
mund Browne,  who  named  the  place  after 
the  Suffolkshire  home  of  his  childhood,  be- 

191 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ing  among  the  passengers  who  sailed  on 
"  the  good  shipp  Confidence ''  April  24, 
1638  and  settled  here  in  "  the  wilderness." 
The  place,  however,  had  rich  natural  advan- 
tages, and  these  lusty  young  men  from  old 
England  were  soon  prosperous  as  a  result 
of  their  choice  of  a  home. 

John  How  was  among  the  first  in  the 
settlement  to  be  admitted  a  freeman.  In 
England  he  had  been  a  glover,  but,  there 
being  slight  demand  for  gloves  in  new 
towns  of  the  seventeenth  century,  he  turned 
his  attention  in  1661  to  the  trade  of  tavern- 
keeper.  Very  early,  therefore,  we  find  a 
How  keeping  a  tavern.  Longfellow,  in  ac- 
counting to  an  English  friend  for  the  coat 
of  arms  and  justice  authority  with  which  his 
Landlord  Howe  is  endowed  said  (Dec.  28, 
1863)  "  Some  two  hundred  years  ago  an 
English  family  by  the  name  of  Howe  built 
in  Sudbury  a  country  house,  which  has  re- 
mained in  the  family  down  to  the  present 
time,  the  last  of  the  race  dying  two  years 
ago.  Losing  their  fortunes,  they  became 
innkeepers,  and  for  a  century  the  Red  Horse 
has  flourished,  going  down  from  father  to 
son.  .  .  .  This  will  account  for  the  land- 
lord's coat  of  arms  and  for  his  being  a  jus- 

192 


The  JVayside  Inn 

tice   of   the   peace,   things   that   must   sound 
strange  to  English  ears." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  there  was 
nothing  strange  about  an  inn-keeper  in  colo- 
nial New  England  being  both  a  gentleman 
and  a  squire.  John  How  was  a  selectman 
as  early  as  1642  and  in  1655  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  see  to  the  restraining  of  youth 
on  the  Lord's  day.  Nor  was  this  at  all  in- 
compatible with  his  week-day  uses.  But 
Longfellow  knew  that  an  English  reader 
would  not  understand  this.  James  Fenimore 
Cooper,  writing  a  quarter  of  a  century  ear- 
lier, knew  it  also  for  he  says,  "  The  inn- 
keeper of  Old  England  and  the  inn-keeper 
of  New  England  form  the  very  extremes  of 
their  class.  The  one  is  obsequious  to  the 
rich,  the  other  unmoved  and  often  appar- 
ently cold.  The  first  seems  to  calculate  at 
a  glance  the  amount  of  profit  you  are  likely 
to  leave  behind  you;  while  his  opposite  ap- 
pears only  to  calculate  in  what  manner  he 
can  most  contribute  to  your  comfort  with- 
out materially  impairing  his  own.  .  .  .  He 
is  often  a  magistrate,  the  chief  of  a  battalion 
of  militia,  or  even  a  member  of  a  state  leg- 
islature.     He   is    almost   always    a   man   of 


193 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

character;  for  it  is  difficult  for  any  other 
to  obtain  a  license  to  exercise  the  calling." 

The  first  Landlord  How  was  emphatically 
"  a  man  of  character."  The  proximity  of 
his  tavern  in  Marlborough  to  the  Indian 
plantation  brought  him  into  intimate  con- 
tact with  the  redskins,  but  he  soon  won  their 
confidence  and  good  will  by  his  uniform 
kindness.  Once  he  settled  a  dispute  regard- 
ing a  pumpkin-vine,  which  sprang  up  on 
the  premises  of  one  Indian  while  bearing 
its  fruit  upon  that  of  another,  in  an  impres- 
sively statesmanlike  manner.  Calling  for  a 
knife  he  divided  the  pumpkin  squarely  in 
halves,  giving  equal  portions  to  each  claim- 
ant! 

It  was  not  John  How,  though,  whose  inn 
Longfellow  celebrated.  His  place  was  in 
Marlborough  as  has  been  said  and  his  sign 
that  of  the  Black  Horse,  while  "  the  Way- 
side Inn  "  was  the  enterprise  of  his  grand- 
son and  displayed  a  prancing  steed  of  bril- 
liant red  over  its  doorway.  According  to 
some  authorities,  David  How  opened  his 
house  in  1714;  certain  it  is  that  it  was  in 
full  swing  two  years  later,  for  Sewall,  that 
incomparable  diarist  records  that  he  started 
with  a  friend  for  Springfield  on  the  27th  of 

194 


The  Wayside  Inn 

April  of  that  year,  "  treated  at  N.  Spar- 
hawk's,  and  got  to  How's  in  Sudbury  about 
one-half  hour  by  the  sun." 

The  original  house  was  a  small  one,  gen- 
erally supposed,  says  Mr.  Homer  Rogers, 
who  bought  the  estate  after  the  death  of  the 
last  How,  to  be  the  L  in  the  rear  of  the 
present  edifice.  David  How  kept  the  tavern 
until  his  death  in  1746,  when  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  his  son,  Ezekial,  by  whom  it 
was  enlarged  as  increased  demand  for  rooms 
made  necessary.  The  business  done  by  the 
house  at  this  time  was  considerable,  for  it 
was  on  the  great  highway  by  which  the  mail 
travelled  westward  from  Boston  and  passen- 
gers were  glad  to  pause  for  a  night  here 
while  pursuing  the  wearisome  journey  to  the 
further  part  of  the  state  and  beyond.  The 
fiery  steed  on  the  front  of  the  sign  was  to 
distinguish  the  house  from  the  Black  Horse 
Tavern  in  Marlborough  while  on  the  back 
were  later  added  the  initials  of  the  first  three 
owners : 

"D.  H 1686 

E.  H.     o    , 1746 

A.  Howe 1796** 

While   Ezekial    Howe   was    the   landlord 
195 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

there   was   established   the    following   price- 
list  of  charges  at  this  Sudbury  tavern: 


"  Mug  best  India  flip  .     .     . 

•    15 

New  England  do        »     .     • 

.     12 

Toddy  in  proportion       .      .     , 

A  good  dinner      .     .     .     .     , 

.     20 

Best  supper  and  breakfast .     . 

15  each 

Common  do , 

.      12 

Lodging 

4" 

The  nature  of  the  entertainment  for  which 
these  modest  prices  were  asked  may  be 
gathered  from  this  description  written  by 
President  Dwight  of  Yale  early  in  the 
nineteenth  century:  "The  best  old-fash- 
ioned New  England  inns  were  superior  to 
any  of  the  modern  ones  which  I  have  seen. 
The  variety  was  ample  and  the  food  was 
always  of  the  best  quality.  The  beds  were 
excellent;  the  house  and  all  its  appendages 
were  in  the  highest  degree  clean  and  neat; 
the  cookery  was  remarkably  good;  and  the 
stable  was  not  less  hospitable  than  the  house. 
The  family,  in  the  meantime,  were  possessed 
of  principle,  and  received  you  with  the  kind- 
ness and  attention  of  friends.  Your  baggage 
was  as  safe  as  in  your  own  house.  If  you 
were  sick  you  were  nursed  and  befriended 

196 


The  JVayside  Inn 

as  in  your  own  family.  No  tavern-haunters, 
gamblers  or  loungers  were  admitted  any 
more  than  in  a  well-ordered  private  habita- 
tion; and  as  little  noise  was  allowed.  .  .  . 
In  a  word  you  found  in  these  inns  the  pleas- 
ures of  an  excellent  private  house.  To  finish 
the  story,  your  bills  were  always  equitable, 
calculated  on  what  you  ought  to  pay,  and 
not  upon  the  scheme  of  getting  the  most 
which  extortion  might  think  proper  to  de- 
mand." 

Yet  the  tap-room  was  an  important  part 
of  every  tavern's  equipment  and  that  of  the 
Inn  in  Sudbury  was,  and  is,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  apartments  in  the  whole  house. 
In  one  corner,  over  the  bar,  is  the  wooden 
portcullis  raised  or  lowered  according  to  the 
demand  for  liquid  refreshment  and  we  may 
still  see  here  the  ancient  floor  worn  by  the 
feet  of  hundreds  of  good  fellows  now  gone 
to  their  long  home;  overhead  are  heavy  oak 
timbers  dating  back  to  the  days  when  flip 
reigned  instead  of  cocktails.  Upstairs  you 
are  shown  the  travellers'  rooms  which  peo- 
ple of  no  particular  importance  occupied  in 
common  and  the  state  chamber  still  deco- 
rated with  its  wall  paper  of  bluebells 
wherein   slept   Lafayette   on   his  journey   to 

197 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Boston  in  1824.  Above  is  the  garret  where 
slaves  were  accommodated  and  which  was 
used  as  a  store-house  for  grain  at  the  time 
when  an  Indian  invasion  was  feared.  Orig- 
inally, too,  the  dance-hall  was  in  one  of 
these  upper  rooms. 

A  day  passed  under  this  roof  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago  would  have  spread  before 
us  all  the  colour  and  movement,  all  the  pic- 
turesque charm  and  interest  of  a  typical 
New  England  tavern.  A  great  deal  earlier 
than  we  would  then  have  thought  pleasant, 
we  should  have  been  awakened  by  the  rum- 
bling of  heavy  market-wagons  taking  into 
Boston  the  produce  of  the  rich  Connecticut 
valley.  There  was  no  time  on  the  down  trip 
for  the  drivers  to  loiter  by  the  way  but  in 
the  afternoon,  on  the  return,  we  should  have 
found  the  canvas-topped  wagons  filling  the 
road  in  front  of  the  house  while  their  owners 
refreshed  themselves  with  excellent  toddy 
in  the  tap-room  and  the  horses  partook  of 
satisfying  oats  in  the  comfortable  barns 
near  by. 

Yet  the  real  event  of  the  day  was,  of 
course,  the  coming,  about  breakfast-time,  of 
the  mail  coach  from  Boston.  We  would  be 
on  the  porch  awaiting  it,  for  the  music  of 

198 


The  JVayside  Inn 

the  horn  would  have  heralded  its  approach 
and  no  one  with  blood  in  his  veins  would 
willingly  miss  the  spectacle  of  its  arrival, 
as  the  dexterous  driver  wheeled  into  the 
yard  and  brought  his  foaming  bays  to  a 
standstill  at  the  front  door.  Every  one  in 
the  house  arose  to  that  occasion!  Yet  in  a 
trice  it  is  all  over.  The  black  stable  boys 
have  taken  out  the  horses,  the  genial  host 
has  welcomed  the  travellers,  —  stiff  and  taci- 
turn as  might  be  expected  of  men  who  have 
ridden  since  three  o'clock  on  an  empty  stom- 
ach,— ^"and  interest  is  transferred  to  the  din- 
ing-room tables  spread  with  bountiful  break- 
fast cheer.  A  half  hour  later  came  the 
speeding  of  the  parting  guest  to  give  one 
another  thrill,  for  a  journey  had  consider- 
able hazard  about  it  back  in  the  eighteenth 
century. 

Of  the  soldiers  who  marched  up  to  the 
Red  Horse,  stacked  their  muskets  and  re- 
tired to  the  tap-room  for  rest  and  comfort 
many  tales  might  be  told.  In  1724,  during 
Loveweirs  war,  the  steel-capped  and  buff- 
coated  men  who  patrolled  the  roads  of  the 
vicinity  made  the  place  their  rendezvous, 
and  during  the  French  and  Indian  war 
troops  hurrying  to  the  frontier  stretched  out 

199 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

and  snatched  a  rest  under  the  old  oaks  in 
front  of  the  house.  When  the  Worcester 
minutemen,  led  by  Timothy  Bigelow,  were 
hurrying  down  to  Lexington,  they,  too,  tar- 
ried for  a  brief  space  at  this  ancient  land- 
mark. 

Ezekial  How  himself  had  a  not  unim- 
portant share  of  Lexington's  glory.  He  was 
at  this  time  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fourth 
Regiment  of  Middlesex  County  Militia,  of 
which  James  Barrett  of  Concord  was  colo- 
nel. In  the  May  of  the  following  year  the 
legislature  made  him  colonel,  which  com- 
mission he  held  until  1779  when  he  resigned. 
The  number  of  Sudbury  men  in  actual  serv- 
ice at  Concord  and  Lexington  was  three 
hundred  and  two.  "  The  inhabitants  of  Sud- 
bury never  can  make  such  an  important  ap- 
pearance probably  again,"  a  Revolutionary 
€oldier  has  written  of  the  event. 

The  first  news  of  trouble  came  to  the 
town  between  three  and  four  in  the  morn- 
ing of  that  first  Patriots'  Day,  carried  to  the 
Sudbury  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress 
by  an  express  from  Concord.  Immediately 
the  church  bell  was  rung,  musketry  dis- 
charged and  the  six  companies  of  the  town 
mustered  into  service.     By  nine  o'clock  all 

200 


The  JVayside  Inn 

the  men  had  reached  Concord,  and  Land- 
lord How  had  distinguished  himself  for 
particular  gallantry  in  the  affair  at  the  old 
North  Bridge.  It  does  not,  however,  appear 
that  he  took  further  part  in  the  active  op- 
erations of  the  Revolution,  though  he  con- 
tinued to  command  his  militia  company  and 
rendered  important  service  as  a  member  of 
the  various  committees  charged  with  the 
makeup  of  quotas  and  the  preparation  of 
muster  rolls.  It  was,  therefore,  altogether 
fitting  that  Washington  should  honour  Sud- 
bury and  its  inn  with  a  brief  visit  during 
his  triumphal  progress  through  New  Eng- 
land in  1789,  stopping  here  for  lunch  and 
warmly  shaking  hands  with  the  veteran  land- 
lord who  had  been  one  of  the  heroes  of  Con- 
cord. 

Colonel  How  died  in  1796  and  again  we 
turn  to  an  inventory  for  intimate  insight 
into  life  of  a  century  ago.  His  appraised 
the  famous  coat-of-arms  at  $4,  his  firearms 
at  $8,  his  library  at  $10,  the  clock  at  $30,  a 
silver  tankard  at  $25,  the  "  other  plate  "  at 
$30,  and  the  homestead  of  240  acres  of  land 
at  $6,500  thus  bringing  the  entire  appraisal 
up  to  $9,531.48.  By  the  will  it  is  made  clear 
that  the  inn  then  consisted  of  new  and  old 

201 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

parts,  for  the  Colonel  speaks  of  *'  a  new 
kitchen  at  the  west  end  of  the  dwelling- 
house,  with  the  lower  room  adjoining 
thereto,  also  the  long  chamber  over  the 
aforesaid  room,  with  the  north-west  bed 
chamber  in  the  old  part  of  said  dwelling- 
house."  The  residue  of  the  estate,  after 
many  minor  legacies  and  several  personal 
articles  bequeathed  to  "  my  well-beloved 
granddaughter,  Hepsibah  Brown,"  was  left 
to  the  Colonel's  third  son,  Adam  How. 

Adam  How  was  the  antiquarian  of  the 
family  and  he  spent  a  great  deal  of  time 
tracing  the  family  line  back  to  the  nobility 
of  England.  Apart  from  this,  however,  he 
did  little  to  add  to  the  lustre  of  the  name. 
He  kept  the  inn  until  1830  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Lyman,  whom  Long- 
fellow thus  describes: 

"  Proud  was  he  of  his  name  and  race, 
Of  old  Sir  William  and  Sir  Hugh 
And  in  the  parlour,  full  in  view, 
His  coat-of-arms,  well-framed  and  glazed. 
Upon  the  wall  in  colours  blazed ; 
He  beareth  gules  upon  his  shield, 
A  chevron  argent  in  the  field. 
With  three  wolfs  heads,  and  for  the  crest 
A  Wyvern  part-per-pale  addressed 
202 


The  JVayside  Inn 

Upon  a  helmet  barred;  below 

The  scroll  reads,  *  By  the  name  of  Howe/  ** 

It  is  with  this  Landlord  Howe  that  the 
^^  Tales  "  are  bound  up.  So,  before  passing 
to  them  let  us  see,  if  we  can,  what  manner 
of  man  the  original  of  Longfellow's  Boni- 
face really  was.  Rather  imposing  in  ap- 
pearance we  find  him,  dignified  and  grave 
appropriately,  it  would  appear,  a  leader  of 
the  Congregational  choir  in  his  town,  a 
member  of  the  school  committee  and  justice 
of  the  peace.  Because  he  was  all  his  life 
a  bachelor  he  left  no  Howe  to  survive  him 
in  carrying  on  the  inn;  but  this  was  perhaps 
just  as  well  because,  during  his  time,  the 
railroad  came  to  supersede  the  stagecoach 
and  ere  his  death,  the  stream  of  guests  at 
the  Red  Horse  had  shrunk  almost  to  a  van- 
ishing point.  In  the  year  following  this 
good  man's  departure,  we  find  the  following 
interesting  entry  in  Longfellow's  diary, 
"  Drive  with  Fields  to  the  old  Red  Horse 
Tavern  in  Sudbury  —  alas!  no  longer  an 
inn!  A  lovely  valley,  the  winding  road 
shaded  by  grand  old  oaks  before  the  house. 
A  rambling,  tumble-down  old  building,  two 
hundred  years  old;  and  till  now  in  the  fam- 

203 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ily  of  the  Howes,  who  have  kept  an  inn  for 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  years.  In  the 
old  time,  it  was  a  house  of  call  for  all  trav- 
ellers from  Boston  westward."  Ten  days 
later  the  poet  writes  Fields:  "The  Sudbury 
Tales  go  on  famously.  I  have  now  five 
complete,  with  a  great  part  of  the  ^  Pre- 
lude.' " 

The  first  series  of  the  poems  was  pub- 
lished on  Nov.  25,  1863  under  the  title 
"Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn,"  which  Charles 
Sumner  suggested  in  place  of  the  "  Sudbury 
Tales  "  of  the  initial  advertisement.  All  the 
characters  described  in  the  series  are  real 
but  they  were  never  at  any  inn  together. 
The  musician  was  Ole  Bull;  the  poet,  T.  W. 
Parsons,  the  translator  of  Dante;  the  Sicil- 
ian, Luigi  Monti;  the  theologian.  Profes- 
sor Treadwell  of  Harvard;  the  student 
Henry  Ware  Wales.  Parson,  Monti  and 
Treadwell  were  in  the  habit  of  spending  the 
summer  months  at  the  Sudbury  Inn  and 
Longfellow  also  had  known  the  place  in  its 
palmy  days,  as  is  shown  by  the  following 
entry  made  by  him  in  the  year  1840:  "The 
stage  left  Boston  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  reaching  the  Sudbury  Tavern  for 
breakfast,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  route 

204 


The  JVayside  Inn 

being  travelled  in  total  darkness,  and  with- 
out your  having  the  least  idea  who  your 
companion  might  be."  Thus  he  was  able 
to  reproduce  vividly  the  fragrant  atmos- 
phere of  the  place  in  that  time 

"  When  men  lived  in  a  grander  way 
With  ampler  hospitaHty." 

Longfellow's  description  of  the  inn  fits  just 
as  well  now  as  it  did  fifty  years  ago: 

"  Across  the  meadows  bare  and  brown, 
The  windows  of  the  wayside  inn 
Gleam  red  with  firelight  through  the  leaves 
Of  wood-bine  hanging  from  the  eaves 
Their  crimson  curtains  rent  and  thin. 

"  As  ancient  in  this  hostelry 
As  any  in  the  land  may  be,     .     .     . 
A  kind  of  old  HobgobHn  Hall,     .      .     . 
With  weather  stains  upon  the  wall 
And  stairways  worn,  and  crazy  doors, 
And  creaking  and  uneven  floors. 
And  chimneys  huge  and  tiled  and  tall. 
A  region  of  repose  it  seems, 
A  place  of  slumber  and  of  dreams. 
Remote  among  the  wooded  hills ! 
For  there  no  noisy  railway  speeds. 
Its  torch-race  scattering  smoke  and  gleeds; 
205 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

But  noon  and  night,  the  panting  teams 
Stop  under  the  great  oaks  that  throw 
Tangles  of  light  and  shade  below, 
On  roofs  and  doors  and  window  sills. 
Across  the  road  the  barns  display 
Their  lines  of  stalls,  their  mows  of  hay. 
Through  the  wide  doors  the  breezes  blow. 
The  wattled  cocks  strut  to  and  fro, 
And,  half  effaced  by  rain  and  shine, 
The  Red  Horse  prances  on  the  sign." 

Guests  are  still  made  welcome  here,  and 
there  is  no  more  popular  resort  in  all  New 
England  —  for  those  who  would  muse  upon 
the  fragrant  past  while  enjoying  a  satisfying 
dinner  —  than  this  inn  upon  whose  window- 
sash  was  inscribed  June  24,  1774,  by  "Will- 
iam Molineaux  Jr.,  Esq.," 

"  What  do  you  think, 
Here  is  good  drink, 
Perhaps  you  may  not  know  it. 
If  not  in  haste  do  stop  and  taste. 
You  merry  folks  will  show  it." 

Yet  I  think  it  is  the  traditions  of  the  place,  as 
set  forth  and  enhanced  by  Longfellow,  rather 
than  any  creature  comforts,  however  "  good," 
which  attract  pilgrims  to-day.    Because  better 

206 


The  JVayside  Inn 

tHan  any  young  blade's  offhand  verse  is  the 
great  poet's  allusion  in  his  Prelude  to 

"  The  jovial  rhymes    .    .   . 
Writ  near  a  century  ago, 
By  the  great  Major  Molineaux, 
Whom  Hawthorne  has  immortal  made." 

For,  has  not  he  "  immortal  made  "  this  most 
fascinating  of  all  old  taverns? 


207 


CHAPTER   X 

ENTERTAINMENT  FOR  MAN  AND  BEAST 

Those  of  us  who  have  been  brought  up 
with  the  idea  that  our  Puritan  ancestors  liked 
to  be  uncomfortable  have  only  to  read  Sam- 
uel Sewall's  Diary  to  be  fully  persuaded  of 
the  contrary.  Sewall,  to  be  sure,  was  of 
redder  blood  than  many  men  of  his  time; 
and  yet  his  delight  in  "  roast  fowl  at  Comp- 
ton's "  (an  Ipswich  inn  very  noted  in  its 
day)  and  in  the  almonds  tendered  him  by 
the  ladies  of  his  roving  fancy  did  not  pre- 
vent him  from  standing  up  in  the  Old  South 
Church  to  confess  his  sin  in  having  accepted 
"  spectral  evidence "  at  the  trial  of  the 
witches,  nor  from  keeping  one  day  annually 
for  fast  and  prayer  in  remembrance  of  that 
event.  No,  Puritans  both  believed  deeply 
and  enjoyed  deeply.  Study  of  tavern  bills 
makes  it  quite  clear  that  they  keenly  appre- 
ciated such  comfort  as  could  be  had  in  those 
days. 

2od 


WINN  HOUSE,  WOBURN 


PAXTON  INN,  PAXTON 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

So,  by  no  illogical  sequence,  it  was  con- 
sidered an  honour  to  a  Puritan  to  keep  a 
good  tavern.  John  Adams,  travelling 
through  Connecticut  in  1771,  found  that 
Landlord  Pease  "  was  the  great  man  of  the 
town;  their  representative  &C  as  well  as 
tavern-keeper,  and  just  returned  from  the 
General  Assembly  at  Hartford."  Lieut. 
Winn  was  proud  to  keep  a  Woburn  tavern 
with  his  family  arms  displayed  as  a  sign- 
board, General  Paxton  was  glad  to  have  his 
portrait  painted  on  the  sign  of  the  inn  named 
after  him,  and  Dr.  Nathaniel  Ames  of  Ded- 
ham,  Massachusetts,  was  a  person  of  such 
position  that  it  is  hard  to  tell  whether  one 
should  characterize  him  as  a  druggist,  an 
almanack-maker  or  an  inn-keeper.  The 
almanac  was  a  capital  advertisement  for  his 
house,  at  any  rate,  —  as  witness  the  follow- 
ing in  the  issue  for  1751 : 

"  ADVERTISEMENT 

"  These  are  to  signify  to  all  persons  that 
travel  the  great  Post-Road  South  West  from 
Boston  that  I  keep  a  House  of  Publick  En- 
tertainment Eleven  Miles  from  Boston,  at 
the  Sign  of  the  Sun.     If  they  want  refresh- 

209 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ments  and  see  cause  to  be  my  guests,  they 
shall    be   well    entertained    at    a    reasonable 

Rate.  N.  Ames." 

Upon  this  advertisement  hangs  a  tale  well 
worth  telling.  The  old  hostelry  in  Dedham 
had  been  kept  as  early  as  1658  by  Lieu- 
tenant Joshua  Fisher,  surveyor,  apothecary, 
innholder  and  officer  of  "  ye  trayne  band." 
His  son  and  successor  was  Captain  Fisher, 
who  was  also  called  Joshua.  About  1735 
one  of  the  latter's  daughters  married  Dr. 
Nathaniel  Ames,  our  friend  of  the  adver- 
tisement, who,  since  1726,  had  been  success- 
fully publishing  the  almanacs  which  bear 
his  name.  Ames'  wife  and  infant  son  died 
soon  after  his  marriage,  and  he  thereupon 
entered  into  a  lawsuit  with  the  families  of 
his  sisters-in-law  for  what  would  have  been 
their  share  in  the  land  and  inn. 

The  turning-point  of  the  suit  hung  upon 
the  term  "  next  of  kin."  Ancient  common 
law  and  English  law  militated  against  the 
ascension  of  property,  that  is  the  inheritance 
by  a  father  or  mother  frorn  a  child;  in  ab- 
sence of  husband,  wife  or  lineal  descendant, 
property  passed  on  to  the  "  next  of  kin," 
which  might  be  a  distant  cousin.    The  Prov- 

210 


Entertaimnent  for  Man  and  Beast 

ince  Laws,  however,  substituted,  by  general 
interpretation,  the  so-called  civilian  method 
of  counting  kinship,  by  which  the  father 
could  inherit.  So  Dr.  Ames  thought  that 
he  had  a  case;  and  though  he  was  twice 
defeated  in  the  courts  he  stood  out  pluckily 
for  what  he  believed  to  be  his  rights  with  the 
result  that,  in  1748,  after  himself  preparing 
unaided  both  case  and  argument,  he  tri- 
umphed before  the  "  Superior  Court  of  Ju- 
dicature, etc.,  of  the  Province  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay!  "  Thus  it  was  that  what  had  been 
Fisher's  Tavern  came  to  bear  the  name  of 
Ames. 

To  win  his  case  was  not  enough  for  this 
excitable  person,  however.  He  had  suffered 
a  good  deal  in  mind  and  purse  by  the  law's 
delay  and  his  keen  wits,  darting  about  for 
an  effective  way  of  making  Chief  Justice 
Dudley  and  his  associate  Lynde  smart  for 
their  failure  to  unite  with  Judges  Saltonstall, 
Sewall  and  Cushing  he  hit  upon  the  idea 
of  caricaturing  the  Court.  Accordingly  he 
had  painted  and  hung  in  front  of  his  inn  a 
sign  which  cost  him  forty  pounds,  —  and 
some  subsequent  trouble.  For  the  sign  rep- 
resented the  whole  court  sitting  in  state  and 
big    wigs    before    an    open    book    entitled 

211 


Among  Old  New  England  Inn^ 

PROVINCE  LAWS.  The  dissenting 
judges  are  shown  with  their  backs  to  the 
book.  Of  course  the  learned  gentlemen 
heard  of  the  sign,  and,  of  course,  they  sent 
a  sheriff  to  bring  it  before  them.  But  Dr. 
Ames,  who  happened  to  be  in  Boston  at  the 
time,  also  heard  of  the  sheriff's  errand  and 
rode  out  to  Dedham  in  all  haste.  When  the 
officer  of  the  law  arrived  he  found  on  the 
pole  where  the  lampoon  had  hung  only  this 
legend :  "  A  wicked  and  adulterous  gen- 
eration seeketh  after  a  sign,  but  there  shall 
no  sign  be  given  it." 

With  this  episode  as  a  starter,  and  the 
almanac  in  which  to  follow  up  the  advan- 
tage, the  tavern  became  more  famous  than 
ever.  The  almanac-maker  lived  here  for 
fifteen  years  and  here  were  born,  by  his  sec- 
ond wife.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Ames  and  Hon. 
Fisher  Ames,  both  men  of  distinction  in 
their  time.  Richard  Woodward  did  the 
honours  of  this  house  in  September,  1774, 
for  the  famous  Suffolk  Convention  where 
was  chosen  the  committee  that  drafted  the 
first  resolutions  in  favour  of  fighting  things 
out  with  Great  Britain.  And  during  the 
Revolution,  as  during  the  French  and  In- 
dian  War,    this    tavern   was    the   centre   of 

212 


^Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

whatever  went  on  for  the  cause  of  freedom. 
All  the  well-known  patriots,  including 
Washington,  Lafayette,  Hancock  and  Adams 
are  said  to  have  often  eaten  and  drunk 
within  its  walls.  It  has  now  been  dust  for 
almost  a  century,  though,  and  its  sign-board, 
too,  perished  long  ago.  But  in  that  enter- 
taining book,  "  The  Almanacks  of  Nathan- 
iel Ames  1 726- 1 775,"  the  author,  Sam 
Briggs,  gives  an  illustration  of  the  painting 
from  a  drawing  found  among  Dr.  Ames' 
papers  after  his  death. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  it  is  interest- 
ing to  read  Ames'  own  allusion,  in  the  Al- 
manack of  1752  to  the  disappearance  of  the 
Sign: 

"  The  Affairs  of  my  House  are  of  a  Pub- 
lick  Nature,  and  therefore  I  hope  may  be 
mentioned  here  without  offence  to  my 
Reader:  The  Sign  I  advertised  last  Year 
by  Reason  of  some  little  Disappointments  is 
not  put  up,  but  the  Thing  intended  to  be 
signified  by  it  is  to  be  had  according  to  said 
Advertisement.  And  I  beg  Leave  further  to 
add,  that  if  any  with  a  View  of  Gain  to 
themselves  or  Advantage  to  their  Friends, 
have  reported  Things  of  my  House  in  con- 
tradiction   to    the    aforesaid    Advertisement, 

213 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

I  would  only  have  those  whom  they  would 
influence  consider,  that  where  the  Narrator 
is  not  honest,  is  not  an  Eye  or  Ear  Witness, 
can't  trace  his  story  to  the  original,  has  it 
only  by  Hear-say,  a  thousand  such  witnesses 
are  not  sufficient  to  hang  a  dog:  &  I  hope 
no  Gentleman  that  travels  the  Road  will 
have  his  Mind  bias'd  against  my  House  by 
such  idle  Reports." 

This  bold  challenge  seems  to  have  had 
its  due  effect,  for,  in  a  letter  dated  Monday 
morning,  June  ii,  1753,  which  Mr.  Field 
quotes,  custom  that  was  to  have  gone  else- 
where is  given  to  Ames's  Tavern. 

"  Before  I  heard  from  you  this  morning," 
says  the  letter-writer  in  question,  "  the  Gen- 
tlemen had  concluded  to  dine  at  Gay's  but 
I  took  the  pains  to  see  'em  again  &  we  have 
agreed  to  have  the  Dinner  at  your  house. 
I  hope  you  will  have  evrything  in  that  agree- 
able &  genteel  order  that  will  Recommend 
your  house  to  the  Gentlemen  &  my  prefer- 
ence of  it  before  Gays  acceptable  to  them 
&  the  Ladys. 

"  I  am  your  hble  Servant 
"  EzEKiAL  Price 
We  propose  Bacon 
Lamb 

214 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

Chicken 

Green  Peas  &ctr  Asparagrass 
Sauces  &ctr  for  the  Dinner 
"  There  will  be  about  twelve  cliaises  in- 
cluding those  we  meet  so  that  you  will  pro- 
vide for  24  persons.  We  are  to  meet  some 
Company  from  Newport  who  will  set  out 
tomorrow  &  the  next  day  being  Wednesday 
we  shall  set  out  &  be  at  your  house  abt  10 
o'clock  unless  the  Weather  is  so  bad  we 
can't  proceed." 

There  is  no  evidence  of  any  public-house 
in  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  —  afterwards  a 
famous  tavern  town,  —  until  1690  when  Na- 
thaniel Wilder  received  official  permission 
to  "  Retale  wine,  Beere,  Ale,  Cyder,  Rum, 
&c."  His  home  was  a  garrisoned  house  on 
the  southeast  slope  of  George  Hill,  and  he 
remained  the  sole  innholder  until  his  death 
in  1704,  after  which  the  business  was  carried 
on  for  a  time  by  his  widow.  During  the 
next  twenty-five  years,  however,  the  list  of 
those  "  privileged  to  sell "  was  a  long  one, 
among  the  most  prominent  people  on  it  be- 
ing Justice  John  Houghton,  who  lived  oppo- 
site the  State  Industrial  School  grounds.  In 
the  Middlesex  Court  Files  is  preserved  the 
following  letter  from  Houghton  which  is  of 

21S 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

interest  for  its  picture  of  tavern-days  in  Lan- 
caster away  back  in  1715: 

"  To  Capt.  Samuel  Phipps  of  Charls- 
towne. 

"Worthy  Sr.  After  my  Humble  Serv- 
ice &  Due  Respects  Presented  to  ye  Hon- 
'r'able  Justices  of  ye  County  of  Middlesex, 
together  with  yourselfe,  these  are  to  acquaint 
you  that  I  am  under  such  Indisposition  of 
Body  that  I  could  not  attend  this  Last  Ses- 
sion of  ye  General  Assembly,  nor  can  I  as 
yet  Possibly  (with  comfort)  come  to  pay 
my  excise  nor  to  Renew  my  Licence,  but  I 
have  sent  ye  money  for  ye  last  years  excise 
by  Joseph  Bradbrook,  the  Bearer  hereof, 
which  I  hope  will  be  to  acceptance  &  in  case 
yo'r  Hon'^s  shall  see  cause  that  my  Licence 
may  be  continued  I  hope  you  will  abate  neer 
one  halfe  of  ye  excise  for  Doubtless  I  have 
paid  very  Deare  considering  what  I  have 
Drawne  Compared  with  other  Townes.  I 
had  but  one  Hogshead  of  Rum  ye  last  year 
&  that  wanted  about  12  Gallons  of  being 
full  when  I  bought  it:  &  it  wants  severall 
Gallons  of  being  out  now  besides  about  10 
or  12  Gallons  Lent  out  &  were  it  not  that 
I   am  concerned  with  writing  of  Deeds  & 

216 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

Bonds  &  other  Publique  Concerns  of  yc 
Town  affaires,  which  Occasion  Persons  often 
to  come  to  my  House,  in  order  to  Signing 
&  Issuing  such  things,  I  should  not  be  will- 
ing to  be  concerned  with  a  Licence;  for 
what  drinks  I  sell  I  do  it  as  cheap  as  at 
Boston  &  besides  ye  first  cost  I  pay  twenty 
shillings  pr  Hogshead  for  carrying  it  up, 
besides  the  Hazard;  &  as  for  Cyder  there 
is  none  to  be  had,  nor  like  to  be  this  year 
at  any  price,  fruit  is  so  scarce,  &  for  wine  I 
never  sold  5  Gallons  in  all  ye  yeares  I  have 
had  a  license.  So  that  my  Draught  being 
so  Little  (there  being  no  Road  or  thorough- 
fare for  travilers  through  our  towne)  I  hope 
your  Hon^"s  will  consider  ye  Premisses  &  do 
therein  as  in  your  Wisdom  &  Justice  it  shall 
seem  meet,  which  will  oblidge 

"  Your  Humble  Servant 
"JOHN    HOUGHTON 
"  Dat.  Lan'-  July  y^  27*^:    171 5." 

This  letter  must  not  be  taken  to  mean  that 
Lancaster  folk  did  not  drink,  however.  The 
trouble  is  that  they  manufactured  and  con- 
sumed large  quantities  of  fermented  bev- 
erages, —  at  home.  The  orchards  of  the 
town  were  very  famous,  and  cider  became  a 

217 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

product  of  such  commercial  importance  that, 
when  a  highway  was  being  constructed,  it 
was  expressly  stipulated  that  the  road  should 
be  of  such  width  as  to  make  it  "  feasible  .  .  . 
to  carry  comfortably,  four  oxen  with  four 
barrels  of  cider  at  once."  In  an  old  mem- 
orandum book  of  Judge  Joseph  Wilder  is 
"  an  acompt  of  Cyder  made  in  the  y^  1728  " 
for  his  neighbours.  There  were  616  barrels 
in  all  of  which  61  went  to  "  the  Reverend 
Mr.  John  Prentice!" 

The  people  of  Hadley,  conscious  of  the 
evil  effects  of  liquor  houses,  were  in  no  haste 
to  have  an  ordinary,  and  when  the  subject 
was  agitated  in  January,  1663,  they  pro- 
ceeded with  great  caution,  choosing  a  com- 
mittee of  ten  to  consider  the  matter,  and  to 
report  to  another  of  seven;  the  latter  were 
to  report  to  the  town  and  the  town  was  then 
to  choose  the  man  most  fit  to  keep  an  ordi- 
nary. Yet  after  all  this  no  man  was  chosen, 
and  until  1668,  when  we  find  that  Richard 
Goodman  had  his  license  "  continued  "  there 
is  no  further  mention  of  the  matter.  After 
1668  there  is  no  notice,  for  almost  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  of  an  inn  or  ordinary  in  either 
Hadley  or  Hatfield,  but  during  this  period 
Joseph  Kellogg,  the  ferry-man,  had  liberty 

218 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

to  entertain  such  travellers  as  passed  that 
way.  Moreover,  in  September,  1684,  Dea- 
con Philip  Smith  was  licensed  to  sell  wine 
to  persons  ''  in  real  need,"  —  meaning  the 
sick,  —  and  in  March,  1678,  Samuel  Par- 
trigg  had  liberty  to  sell  liquors  "  to  the  neigh- 
bors,''  and  in  1681  "for  the  helpfulness  of 
neighbors;"  four  years  later  this  privilege 
was  extended  to  the  retailing  of  wine. 

A  famous  Hadley  liquor-case  of  this 
period  was  that  of  Doctor  John  Westcarr 
complained  of  by  the  Indians  for  having 
sold  to  them  contrary  to  a  law  made  by  the 
General  Court  in  May  1657  forbidding  such 
traffic  —  to  an  Indian,  —  under  the  penalty 
of  40  shillings  for  every  pint.  Doctor  West- 
carr, when  examined  by  Captain  John 
Pynchon,  confessed  that  he  had  had  two 
barrels  of  liquor  in  the  spring  and,  upon 
being  asked  what  he  did  with  it,  said  that 
he  had  used  most  of  it  in  preparing  medi- 
cines. The  testimony  of  half  a  dozen  In- 
dians proved  so  convincing  to  the  court, 
however,  that  Dr.  Westcarr  was  heavily 
fined. 

Of  the  custom  of  sharing  rooms  in  prim- 
itive taverns  early  travellers  give  conflicting 
accounts.      Madam    Knight's    testimony   we 

219 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

have  already  read,  and  an  English  officer 
put  himself  on  record  to  the  effect  that  "  the 
general  custom  of  having  two  or  three  beds 
in  a  room  to  be  sure  is  very  disagreeable; 
it  arises  from  the  great  increase  of  travel- 
ling within  the  last  few  years,  and  the  small- 
ness  of  their  houses,  which  were  not  built 
for  houses  of  entertainment."  Captain  Basil 
Hall,  on  the  other  hand,  declared  that  even 
at  remote  taverns  his  family  had  exclusive 
apartments;  while  in  crowded  inns  it  was 
never  so  much  as  suggested  to  him  that  other 
travellers  should  share  his  quarters. 

The  cost  of  these  quarters  was  for  the 
most  part  very  reasonable.  When  John 
Tripp  and  his  wife  put  up  at  the  Bowen 
Inn,  Barrington,  Rhode  Island,  they  were 
presented  with  the  following  bill : 

s.d. 

To  i  Dinner  9 

To  Bread  and  Cheese  7 

To  breakfast  and  dinner  i   3 

To  I  Bowl  Toddy  9 

To  lodging  you  and  wife  6 

To  i^  Bowl  Toddy  I    \\ 

To  \  Mug  Cyder  \\ 

To  lodge  self  and  wife  6 

To  I  Gill  Brandy  si 
220 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 


To  breakfast 

9i 

Mug  Cyder 

li 

To  J  Bowl  Toddy 

4J 

Dinner 

8 

To  15  Lb.  Tobacco  at  6d 

7  6 

To  \  Bowl  Toddy 

4J 

To  i  Mug  Cyder 

li 

To  Supper 

6 

Typical  fare  and  typical  treatment  at  one 
of  this  better  class  of  taverns  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Adam  Hodgson :  "  Every  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  you  come  either  to  a  little  vil- 
lage composed  of  a  few  frame  houses,  with 
an  extensive  substantial  house,  whose  respect- 
able appearance,  rather  than  any  sign,  dem- 
onstrates it  to  be  a  tavern,  (as  the  inns  are 
called,)  or  to  a  single  house  appropriated 
to  that  purpose  and  standing  alone  in  the 
woods.  At  these  taverns  you  are  accosted, 
often  with  an  easy  civility,  ...  by  a  land- 
lord who  appears  perfectly  indifferent 
whether  or  not  you  take  anything  for  the 
good  of  the  house.  If,  however,  you  inti- 
mate an  intention  to  take  some  refreshment, 
a  most  plentiful  repast  is,  in  due  time,  set 
before  you,  consisting  of  beef-steaks,  fowls, 
turkies,  ham,  partridges,  eggs,  and,  if  near 
the  coast,  fish  and  oysters,  with  a  great  va- 

221 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

riety  of  hot  bread,  both  of  wheat  flour  and 
Indian-corn,  the  latter  of  which  is  prepared 
in  many  ways  and  is  very  good.  The  land- 
lord usually  comes  in  to  converse  with  you 
and  to  make  one  of  the  party;  and  as  one 
cannot  have  a  private  room,  I  do  not  find 
his  company  disagreeable.  He  is,  in  gen- 
eral, well  informed  and  well  behaved,  and 
the  independence  of  manner  which  has  often 
been  remarked  upon,  I  rather  like  than  oth- 
erwise, when  it  is  not  assumed  or  obtrusive, 
but  appears  to  rise  naturally  from  easy  cir- 
cumstances, and  a  consciousness  that,  both 
with  respect  to  situation  and  intelligence, 
he  is  at  least  on  a  level  with  the  generality 
of  his  visitors.  At  first  I  was  a  little  sur- 
prised, on  enquiring  where  the  stage  stopped 
to  breakfast,  to  be  told,  at  Mayor  Todds; 
—  to  dine?  At  Col.  Brown's  —  but  I  am 
now  becoming  familiar  with  these  phenom- 
ena of  civil  and  political  equality.  .  .  ." 

At  the  Ellery  Tavern,  Gloucester,  as  in 
many  another  old  New  England  hostelry, 
the  intercourse  between  the  landlord  and  the 
lawmakers  was  so  familiar  that  mine  host 
had  every  reason  to  think  himself  quite  as 
good  as  anybody.  The  selectmen  of  the 
town  regularly  held   their  meetings   at  this 

222 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

inn  and  in  1744  ^he  annual  salary  of  the  five 
men  chosen  for  the  office  was  five  dollars 
apiece  the  rest  being  taken  out  in  tavern 
charges,  which  amounted  to  thirty  pounds 
old  tenor.  The  following  year  the  citizens 
evidently  thought  they  would  economize,  and 
they  accordingly  voted  the  selectmen  a  sal- 
ary of  five  pounds  old  tenor  apiece  and  "  to 
find  themselves."  This  particular  house  of- 
fers a  beautiful  example  of  the  overhanging 
second  story  and  the  lean-to,  or  sloping- 
roofed  ell.  It  was  built  in  1707  by  Parson 
White,  but  James  Stevens  afterwards  made 
a  tavern  of  it  and  there  held  sway  until 
1740  when  it  came  into  the  hands  of  Land- 
lord Ellery. 

In  the  town  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, 
also,  the  selectmen  met  at  a  tavern,  the  one 
chosen  frequently  being  the  Blue  Anchor 
which  had  been  established  as  an  ordinary 
as  early  as  1652.  Their  bill  there  for  1769 
amounts  to  nearly  five  pounds. 

By  what  seems  to-day  an  interesting  para- 
dox "  Ordination  Day "  was  perhaps  the 
most  profitable  tavern-gathering  in  the  year. 
Then  the  visiting  ministers  were  entertained 
by  an  especially  good  brew  called  "  ordina- 
tion  beer "   and   sometimes   there   was   even 

223 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

an  "  ordination  ball "  in  the  evening,  for 
which  the  sanction  of  the  cloth  had  been 
obtained.  The  bill  at  one  Hartford  ordina- 
tion Mrs.  Earle  gives  as  follows: 


/.    X.   d. 

To  keeping  Ministers 
2  Mugs  Tody 
5  Segars 
I  Pint  Wine 

2    4 
5    10 
3 
9 

3  Lodgings 
3  Bitters 
3  Breakfasts 

9 

9 
3   6 

15  Boles  Punch 

I     0 

24  dinners 

I   16 

1 1  bottles  wine 

3    16 

5  Mugs  flip 
5  Boles  Punch 

5    10 
6 

3  Boles  Tody 

36 

With  unconscious  humour  this  bill  is  en- 
dorsed "  all  paid  for  except  the  Minister's 
Rum." 

Very  often  a  tavern  would  be  famed  far 
and  wide  for  its  particular  variety  of  drink. 
Brigham's  Tavern  at  Westborough  used  to 
prepare  mulled  wine  in  this  perfectly  irre- 
sistible fashion:  a  quart  of  boiling  hot  Ma- 
deira, half  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  and  six 

224 


ELLERY  TAVERN, GLOUCESTER 


BRIGHAM'S  tavern  (now  the  WESIBOROUGH  HOTEL), 
WESTBOROUGH 


4 


k 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

eggs  beaten  to  a  froth,  all  sweetened  and 
spiced.  Nutmeg  was  a  favourite  flavouring 
and  fashionable  ladies  and  elegant  gallants 
always  carried  the  delicate  dainty  in  their 
pockets.  Some  New  England  taverns  were 
famous  for  their  spruce,  birch  and  sassafras 
beer,  boiled  with  quantities  of  roots  and 
herbs,  with  birch,  spruce  or  sassafras  bark, 
with  pumpkin  and  apple  parings,  with  sweet- 
ening of  molasses  or  maple  syrup.  One  song 
writer  of  colonial  times  declared  joyously, 

"  Oh,  we  can  make  liqour  to  sweeten  our  lips 
Of  pumpkins,  of  parsnips,  of  walnut-tree  chips." 

Everybody  appears  to  have  drunk  and  fre- 
quently the  most  unexpected  persons, 
dropped,  liked  Silas  Wegg,  into  poetry  on 
the  joys  of  drinking.  For  instance  in  1757 
S.  M.  of  Boston  whom  there  is  reason  to 
think  was  Samuel  Mather,  the  son  of  Cot- 
ton Mather,  sent  to  Sir  Harry  Frankland, 
the  hero  of  Agnes  Surriage's  romance,  a 
box  of  lemons  with  these  lines:  — 

**You  know  from  Eastern  India  came 
The  skill  of  making  punch  as  did  the  name. 
And  as  the  name  consists  of  letters  five, 
By  five  ingredients  is  it  kept  alive. 
225 


Wy 


^ 


^ 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

To  purest  water  sugar  must  be  joined, 
With  these  the  grateful  acid  is  combined. 
Some  any  sours  they  get  contented  use, 
But  men  of  taste  do  that  from  Tagus  choose^ 
When  now  these  three  are  mixed  with  care 
Then  added  be  of  spirit  a  small  share. 
And  that  you  may  the  drink  quite  perfect  see 
Atop  the  musky  nut  must  grated  be," 

Of  making  many  flips  there  was  no  end. 
Each  landlord  had  his  own  opinion  as  to 
the  proper  way  of  mixing  this  indispensable 
article  and  every  tavern  bill  one  finds  is 
punctuated  with  entries  charging  it  up  to 
the  thirsty  traveller.  John  Adams  said  that 
if  you  spent  the  evening  in  a  tavern  you 
found  it  full  of  people  drinking  drams  of 
flip.  Certainly  the  old  tap-rooms  were 
cheerful  and  inviting  gathering-places  with 
the  landlord  cheerily  presiding  over  his 
cage-like  counter,  surrounded  by  cans  and 
bottles  and  glasses,  jars  of  whole  spice  and 
loaves  of  sugar  with  rows  of  suggestive  look- 
ing barrels  in  the  background 

"  Where  dozed  a  fire  of  beechen  logs  that  bred 
Strange  fancies  in  its  embers  golden-red, 
And  nursed  the  loggerhead,  whose  hissing  dip 
Timed  by  wise  instinct,  creamed  the  bowl  of  flip." 
226 


Entertainment  for  Man  and  Beast 

The  loggerhead,  more  commonly  called  the 
flip  iron,  was  a  regular  part  of  the  chimney 
furniture  in  ^^  ye  olden  time :  "  it  was  con- 
stantly kept  warm  in  the  ashes  all  ready  to 
impart  at  short  notice  the  puckering  bitter- 
ness and  curious  scorched  taste  beloved  of 
our  ancestors.  Sometimes,  at  Hallow  E'en, 
parties  of  twentieth  century  young  people 
get  out  the  paraphernalia  of  Colonial  tip- 
pling and  try  how  it  all  seems;  but  I  have 
yet  to  meet  a  modern  who  enjoyed  the  re- 
sults. We  of  to-day  are  too  far  from  the 
digestions  of  our  ancestors  to  delight  in  their 
drinks. 


227 


CHAPTER   XI 

TAVERN  SIGNS  — AND  WONDERS 

The  custom  of  naming  the  tavern  and 
placing  before  its  door  a  signboard  with  a 
more  or  less  appropriate  device  was  brought 
to  New  England  from  Holland  and  the 
mother  country.  There  was,  indeed,  a  time 
when  our  laws  required  such  a  sign;  and 
in  France  Louis  XIV  expressly  prescribed 
that  "  Tavern  keepers  must  put  up  Syn- 
boards  and  a  bush:  Nobody  shall  be  al- 
lowed to  open  a  tavern  in  the  said  city  and 
its  suburbs  without  having  a  sign  and  a 
bush."  The  "  bush "  here  referred  to  was 
just  what  the  name  would  imply,  set  on  a 
pole  or  nailed  to  the  tavern  door.  Hence 
the  proverb  "  Good  Wine  needs  no  bush." 

The  variety  and  incongruity  of  tavern 
signs  eventually  became  a  matter  of  note  and 
prompted  the  following  curious  rhyme  in 
the  British  Apollo  in  1710: 

228 


SIGN  OF  THE  HANCOCK  TAVERN,  BOSTON 


4 


'h 


Tavern  Signs  —  and  JVonders 

**  Fm  amazed  at  the  signs, 
As  I  pass  through  the  town. 
To  see  the  odd  mixture, 
A  Magpie  and  Crown, 
The  Whale  and  the  Crow, 
The  Razor  and  Hen, 
The  Leg  and  Seven  Stars, 
The  Axe  and  The  Bottle 
The  Tun  and  The  Lute, 
The  Eagle  and  Child, 
The  Shovel  and  Boot." 

Often,  however,  these  titles  were  mere 
corruptions,  as  in  the  case  of  the  "  Three 
Broiled  Chickens,"  the  popular  name  for 
an  old  tavern  still  standing  in  Woburn, 
Massachusetts,  and  kept  in  Revolutionary 
days  by  Lieutenant  Joseph  Winn  who  had 
hung  outside  his  house,  with  pardonable 
pride,  his  coat  of  arms  showing  three  spread 
eagles  on  a  shield.  When  the  sign  was  a 
portrait  of  some  person  in  public  life  it  gen- 
erally reflected  the  political  tendencies  of 
the  landlord.  John  Duggan  hung  out  from 
his  house  in  Corn  Court  a  Hancock  present- 
ment remotely  after  Copley  because  he  ad- 
mired the  patriot  and  wished  to  show  it. 

The  "  Leg  and  Seven  Stars "  of  the  rhyme 
just  quoted  was  however  merely  a  deviation 

229 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

from  the  "  League  and  Seven  Stars "  of 
Seven  United  Provinces.  "  The  Axe  and 
the  Bottle"  v^as  the  Battle  Axe  differently 
arranged;  the  "Goat  And  The  Compass" 
once  read  "God  Encompasseth  us;"  the 
"  Bag  of  Nails,"  a  tavern  at  Chelsea,  Eng- 
land, is  a  corruption  of  the  word  "  Baccha- 
nals,"—  singularly  appropriate,  surely  for  a 
tavern. 

In  a  curious  English  volume  published 
in  1825  some  extraordinary  examples  of  tav- 
ern misnomers  are  given.  There  is  "  The 
Magdalen  "  for  instance,  so  named  because 
of  its  proximity  to  a  female  asylum  which 
bore  this  title.  "  Nothing  but  being  in  the 
neighborhood  of  such  an  institution  could 
have  rendered  such  a  sign  in  any  way  ap- 
propriate for  a  public  house,"  comments 
our  author  "  for  we  have  never  perceived 
anything  in  the  manner  of  conducting  such 
concerns  as  was  conducive  to  virtue,  but 
rather  destructive  to  the  morals  of  youth, 
and  particularly  of  females."  In  justice  to 
New  England  taverns  it  should,  however,  be 
said,  that  this  stricture  does  not  apply  to 
them  save  in  exceptional  cases.  Apart  from 
other  reasons,  a  landlord  was  too  afraid  of 
losing  his  sign.     For,  following  the  custom 

230 


b 


Tavern  Signs  —  and  lVonder$ 

in  England,  Massachusetts,  by  an  act  of  the 
General  Court  in  1710,  gave  to  the  sheriff 
or  deputy  power,  when  a  taverner  had  com- 
mitted any  irregularity,  "  to  cause  his  sign 
to  be  taken  down." 

The  Punch  Bowl  was  a  favourite  tavern- 
sign.  Brookline,  Massachusetts,  had  a  very 
famous  house  bearing  this  name  and  in  the 
Boston  Evening  Post  of  January  11,  1773 
one  may  find  a  notice  that  "  a  Bear  and  a 
Number  of  Turkeys  will  be  set  up  as  a 
mark  at  the  Punch  Bowl  Tavern  in  Brook- 
line."  This  introduces  us  to  turkey  shoots, 
a  favourite  diversion  early  in  the  nineteenth 
century.  Captain  Basil  Hall  saw  such  a 
"  shoot "  advertised  at  a  tavern  in  Tewks- 
bury  and  asked  the  landlord  about  it,  where- 
upon that  functionary  "  laughed  at  my  curi- 
osity but  good-humouredly  enlightened  my 
ignorance  by  explaining  that  these  shooting 
matches  were  so  common  in  America,  that 
he  had  no  doubt  I  would  fall  in  with  them 
often.  I  regretted  very  much  having  passed 
one  day  too  late  for  this  transatlantic  battle. 
It  appears  that  these  birds  were  literal  barn 
door  fowls,  placed  at  certain  distances,  and 
fired  at  by  anyone  who  chooses  to  pay  the 
allotted  sum  for  a  shot.    If  he  kills  the  bird 

231 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

he  is  allowed  to  carry  it  off;  otherwise,  like 
a  true  sportsman,  he  has  the  amusement  for 
his  money.  Cocks  and  hens,  being  small 
birds,  are  placed  at  the  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  feet;  and  for  every  shot 
with  ball  the  sportsman  has  to  pay  four 
cents.  Turkeys  are  placed  at  twice  the  dis- 
tance, or  one  hundred  and  ten  yards,  if  a 
common  musket  be  used ;  but  at  one  hundred 
and  sixty-five  yards  if  the  weapon  be  a  rifle. 
In  both  these  cases  the  price  per  shot  is 
from  six  to  ten  cents." 

Horses  of  several  colours,  white,  black 
and  red,  were  often  used  for  tavern  signs 
here  and  in  England.  Addison  frequented 
the  White  Horse  Tavern,  Kensington,  and 
there  many  of  his  Spectator  papers  were 
written,  including,  very  likely,  that  of  April 
2,  1710,  in  which  he  thus  advocates  a  cen- 
sorship of  signboards :  —  "  Our  streets  are 
filled  with  blue  boars,  black  swans  and  red 
lions;  not  to  mention  flying  pigs  and  hogs 
in  armour,  with  many  other  creatures  more 
extraordinary  than  any  in  the  deserts  of 
Africa.  My  first  task,  therefore,  would  be 
like  that  of  Hercules,  to  clear  the  city  from 
monsters.  In  the  second  place  I  would  for- 
bid that  creatures  of  jarring  and  incongru- 

232 


Tavern  Signs  —-  and  JVonders 

ous  names  should  be  joined  together  in  the 
same  sign;  such  as  the  bell  and  the  neat's 
tongue;  the  dog  and  the  gridiron.  The  fox 
and  goose  may  be  supposed  to  have  met, 
but  what  have  the  fox  and  seven  stars  to  do 
together?  And  when  did  the  lamb  and  dol- 
phin ever  meet  except  upon  a  signpost? " 
One  Massachusetts  Inn  which  still  displays 
the  sign  of  a  red  lion  is  that  at  Stockbridge. 
No  New  Englander,  however,  seems  to 
have  had  the  hardihood  to  borrow  the  Boar's 
Head  sign  and  name  which  Shakespeare  has 
immortalized  by  association  with  the  frolics 
of  Falstaff  and  Prince  Hal.  But  the  Golden 
Ball,  originally  set  up  in  honour  of  royalty, 
graced  the  Tory  tavern  of  Colonel  Jones 
at  Weston,  Massachusetts,  as  well  as  many 
other  houses  strictly  republican  in  their  sym- 
pathies. As  for  the  Bell,  that  was  to  be  seen 
in  every  kind  of  combination,  and  in  England 
as  well  as  here  was  so  common  as  a  sign  that 
the  following  rhyme  was  made  upon  it: 

**  Around  the  face  of  blue-ey'd  Sue, 
Did  auburn  ringlets  curl, 
Her  lips  seem'd  coral  dipp'd  in  dew 

Her  teeth  two  rows  of  pearl. 
Joe,  of  the  Bell,  whose  wine,  they  said. 
Was  new  in  cask,  as  he  in  trade, 

233 


fe 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Espoused  this  nonpareil; 

*  You  keep  the  bar,'  said  Joe,  *  my  dear, 
But  be  obliging.  Sue,  d'ye  hear, 

And  prove  to  all  who  love  good  cheer 
They're  welcome  to  the  Bell/ 

"A  London  rider  chanc'd  to  slip 

Behind  the  bar,  to  dine. 
And  found  sweet  Susan *s  yielding  lip 

Much  mellower  than  her  wine. 
As  Joe  stepped  in,  he  stamped  and  tore, 
And  for  the  London  beau  he  swore 

He'd  dust  his  jacket  well. 

*  Heyday ! '  says  Sue,  *  What's  this,  I  trow ! 
You  bade  me  be  obliging  Joe; 

I'm  only  proving  to  the  beau, 
He's  welcome  to  the  Bell.  *  " 

Probably  the  most  famous  Bell  Tavern  in 
New  England  was  that  at  Danvers,  Massa- 
chusetts, which  is  now  no  longer  standing, 
but  which  will  always  be  remembered  for 
its  connection  with  Elizabeth  Whitman, 
generally  believed  to  have  been  the  model 
for  Hawthorne's  "  Hester  Prynne."  This 
was  a  typical  inn  of  the  pre-Revolutionary 
period.  Here  prices  and  everyday  gossip 
were  discussed;  here,  on  Sundays,  the  more 
remote  villagers  left  their  horses  while  at- 
tending   church,    and    here,    after    the    two 

234 


f. 


'^^ 


Tavern  Signs  —  and  Wonders 

hours*  service,  they  returned  to  enjoy  their 
dinner  in  the  warmth  of  a  snug  corner. 
This  tavern  saw  mourning  for  the  death  of 
Queen  Anne  and  rejoicing  over  the  acces- 
sion of  the  first  George.  The  odious  Stamp 
Act  and  all  Parliament  taxes  on  the  colonies 
were  here  patriotically  denounced  and  tea 
was  duly  proscribed.  When  one  hardy  soul 
disdained  the  warning  concerning  this  over- 
taxed beverage,  he  had  to  furnish  punch 
for  the  crowd  repeating  three  times  as  he 
drained  his  cup,  the  following  chaste  coup- 
let: 

"  I,  Isaac  Wilson,  a  boy  I  be, 
I,  Isaac  Wilson,  I  sells  tea." 

The  sign  of  the  house  was  a  wooden  bell 
and  the  host  informed  the  people  of  his  good 
cheer  by  the  following  strain: 

"  Francis  Symonds  Makes  and  Sells 
The  best  of  Chocolate  also  Shells, 
ril  toll  you  in  if  you  have  need, 
And  feed  you  well  and  bid  you  speed." 

A  very  spirited  sign  is  that  w^hich  long 
hung  before  the  Benjamin  Wiggin  tavern 
in  Hopkinton,  N.  H.  and  which,  more  lately 
has  been  identified  with  the  recently-burned 

235 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Perkins  Inn  of  that  same  town.  Littleton, 
Massachusetts,  displayed  before  its  Law- 
rence Tavern  a  sign  upon  which  was  painted 
a  soldier  and  the  excellent  advice,  "  Pay 
Today  And  Trust  Tomorrow." 

About  the  time  of  the  Revolution  tavern- 
signs  bearing  the  head  and  name  of  William 
Pitt  became  very  popular  in  New  England. 
The  landlord  of  the  tavern  at  York,  Maine, 
put  up  such  a  sign  and  added  boldly  to  it 
the  words,  "  Entertainment  For  the  Sons  of 
Liberty."  In  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 
as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  chapter 
which  treats  the  inns  of  that  town,  there  was 
a  less  spontaneous  honouring  of  William 
Pitt  by  a  taverner. 

Upon  pre-Revolutionary  tavern-signs  Gen- 
eral Wolfe  was  a  favourite  figure.  Boston 
had  a  Wolfe  tavern  near  Faneuil  Hall  and 
when  General  Israel  Putnam  became  a  land- 
lord at  Brooklyn,  Connecticut,  he  hung  out 
over  his  front  door  a  bravelv-oainted  full- 
length  of  this  hero.  The  Wolfe  Tavern  at 
Newburyport  disolavs  to  this  dav  a  bold 
presentment  of  the  English  officer's  rather 
comical  profile. 

Beehives  upon  tavern  signs  were  by  no 
means  uncommon.    One  such  bore  the  motto, 

236 


4' 


»*'   z    o 


Tavern  Signs  —  and  Wonders 

*^  By  industry  we  thrive  "  and  another  this 
rhyme : 

"  Here  in  this  hive  we  are  all  alive. 
Good  liquor  makes  us  funny. 
If  you  are  dry  step  in  and  try 
The  flavor  of  our  honey." 

The  Worcester  Society  of  Antiquity  owns 
the  sign  of  Walker^s  Tavern,  a  famous  house 
in  Charlestown,  New  Hampshire,  which  dis- 
played dozens  of  realistic  bees  hovering 
around  a  properly  symmetrical  hive! 

The  old  sign  of  the  inn  at  Paxton,  Massa- 
chusetts shows  upon  one  side  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  and  Charles  Paxton  shaking  hands 
across  a  well-loaded  table  at  which  they 
appear  to  be  dining.  Over  the  picture  are 
the  words:  "Our  good  cheer  tends  to  make 
enemies  friends."  But  one  must  not  con- 
clude from  this  that  the  poltroon  marshal 
of  the  Admiralty  Court  of  Boston  was  a 
favourite  among  the  good  citizens  of  this 
town.  Such,  indeed,  was  far  from  being 
the  case;  they  could  not  forget  that  Paxton 
had  never  fulfilled  his  promise  to  give  them 
a  bell  for  the  meetin8:-house  if  only  they 
would  call  their  settlement  after  him!  Fi- 
nally, they  presented  to  the  General  Court 

237 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

of  Massachusetts  a  petition  praying  that 
their  town  "  Paxton "  be  changed  "  to  a 
name  more  agreeable."  This  petition  was 
not  granted  but  it  was  doubtless  a  salve  to 
the  indignation  of  Paxtonians  that  the  effigy 
of  this  man,  described  as  "  an  intriguing 
politician  and  a  despicable  sycophant "  was 
hung  in  effigy  upon  the  Liberty  Tree  which 
formerly  stood  at  the  corner  of  Essex  and 
Washington  streets. 

Signs  had  their  distinct  uses,  of  course,  in 
a  time  when  many  streets  were  without  name 
or  number.  The  amusing  story  is  told  of 
a  member  of  the  famous  Beef-Steak  Club 
frequented  by  Johnson  and  Smollett  who, 
while  spending  a  day  in  Calais  with  Lord 
Sandwich,  became  so  interested  in  conver- 
sation that  he  strolled  along  the  ramparts 
far  from  the  Silver  Lion  Inn  at  which  he 
was  a  guest.  Then,  as  he  could  not  speak 
a  word  of  French,  he  was  at  a  loss  how  to 
find  his  way  back,  until  he  bethought  him 
to  clap  a  silver  shilling  to  his  mouth  and 
assume  the  attitude  of  a  lion  rampant. 
Thereupon,  a  soldier  who  supposed  him 
deranged,  led  him  very  promptly  to  the  inn 
where  it  was  believed  his  keepers  would  be 
looking  for  him.     The  vigorous   lion   long 

238 


Tavern  Signs  —  and  Wonders 

displayed  before  Boltwood's  Tavern  in  Am- 
herst, Massachusetts,  may  have  similarly 
served  some  muddled  mind  in  days  gone  by. 
Moreover,  the  signs  helped  people  to  find 
the  wonders!  The  [Boston]  Columbian  Cen- 
final  of  April  28,  18 10,  announces  one  of 
these  as  follows: 

"  MONSTROUS  sight! 

"  To  be  seen  at  A.  Pollard's  Tavern,  Elm 
street  —  A  white  Greenland  sea  BEAR, 
which  was  taken  at  sea,  weighing  1000  wt. 
This  animal  lives  either  in  the  sea  or  on  the 
land.  They  have  been  seen  several  leagues 
at  sea,  and  floating  on  cakes  of  ice.  .  .  ." 

Sometimes  a  "  whole  caravan  of  living 
animals "  was  advertised  to  be  displayed  at 
one  or  another  of  the  taverns.  The  Salem 
Gazette  of  Jan.  30,  1824,  gives  a  list  which 
reads  like  a  Barnum  circus-bill  as  on  ex- 
hibition at  the  Essex  Coffee  House,  — 
among  them  "  a  six-legged  heifer  "  and  "  the 
ichneumon,  an  animal  famous  for  destroy- 
ing reptiles'  eggs,  and  is  worshipped  by  the 
Egyptians."  A  touch  which  reminds  one  of 
the  Prologue  used  by  Shakespeare's  "  horny- 
handed  men  of  Athens "  lurks  in  a  footnote 

239 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

assuring  the  public  that  ^*  the  room  is  con- 
veniently fitted,  so  that  Ladies  and  Gentle- 
men can  view  the  animals  with  perfect 
safety!' 

Once,  at  least,  a  New  England  tavern  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  scene  of  a  bull-fight. 
The  affair  was  thus  heralded  in  the  Essex 
Register  of  June,  1809: 

"sportsmen,  attend! 

"The  gentlemen  SPORTSMEN  of  this 
town  and  its  vicinity  are  informed  that  a 
Grand  Combat  will  take  place  between  the 
URUS,  ZEBU,  and  Spanish  BULL,  on  the 
4th  of  July,  if  fair  weather,  if  not  the  next 
day,  at  the  HALF-WAY  HOUSE  on  the 
Salem  Turnpike.  There  will  also  be  ex- 
posed at  the  Circus,  other  Animals  which, 
for  courage  strength  and  sagacity  are  in- 
ferior to  none."  Again  the  reassuring  land- 
lord adds  that  "  No  danger  need  be  appre- 
hended during  the  performance!" 


240 


CHAPTER   XII 

OLD  TAVERN  DAYS  IN  NEWBURY 

That  Thomas  Hale  whose  appointment 
as  justice  Samuel  Sewall  opposed  in  172 1 
on  the  ground  that  "  he  hath  lately  kept  an 
ordinary  and  sold  rum  "  was  the  first  of  a 
long  series  of  Newbury  landlords  who  ulti- 
mately attained  distinction  in  the  town's  af- 
fairs. Described  as  a  man  of  immense  size 
(he  is  said  to  have  weighed  over  five  hun- 
dred pounds!)  with  a  strong  and  sonorous 
voice  that  could  be  heard  at  a  great  distance, 
he  was  long  captain  of  the  militia  and,  in 
spite  of  Judge  Sewall,  became  a  successful 
justice  of  the  peace.  But  he  was  not  by  a 
good  deal  the  first  innkeeper  in  the  town. 
The  earliest  license  was  granted  almost  a 
century  earlier  (in  1635)  to  Francis  Plumer. 
This  was  the  very  year  of  the  town's  incor- 
poration. Four  years  later  Edmund  Green- 
leaf  was  ordered  to  be  ensign  for  Newbury 
and  allowed  to  keep  a  house  of  entertain- 

241 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ment;  and  by  1644  "Tristram  Coffyn  Sr. 
is  allowed  to  keep  an  ordinary,  sell  wine 
and  keep  a  ferry  on  the  Newbury  Side  .  .  . 
of  Carr's  island." 

Tristram  CofTyn  possessed  a  clever  wife 
whose  superior  intellect  had  the  effect,  as 
not  infrequently  happens,  of  getting  her  hus- 
band into  trouble.  The  County  records  for 
September  1653  say  that  ''  Tristram  Coffyn's 
wife,  Dionis,  was  presented  for  selling  beer," 
at  his  ordinary  in  Newbury,  "  for  3  pence 
a  qt."  Having  proved,  "  upon  the  testimony 
of  Samuel  Moores,  that  she  put  6  bushels  of 
malt  into  the  hogshead  she  was  discharged." 
The  law  which  she  was  supposed  to  have 
violated  had  been  passed  in  1645,  and  or- 
dained that  "  every  person  licensed  to  keep 
an  ordinary  shall  always  be  provided  with 
good  wholesome  beer  of  4  bushels  of  malt 
to  the  hogshead,  which  he  shall  not  sell 
above  2  pence  the  ale  qt  on  penalty  of  40 
shillings  the  first  offence  &  for  the  second 
he  shall  lose  his  license."  Goodwife  Coffyn 
had  merely  worked  out  a  problem  in  pro- 
portion (?)  and  demanded  a  higher  return 
for  what  she  represented  as  better  beer. 

This  progenitor  of  the  Newbury  Coffins 
was  also  the  founder  of  the  Nantucket  fam- 

242 


^ 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

ily  of  the  same  name.  He  had  not  long 
been  keeping  the  ferry  and  selling  beer  when 
he  disposed  of  all  his  property  on  the  Mer- 
rimac  to  remove  to  the  island  town.  His 
son,  Tristram  Jr.,  fell  heir,  by  marriage,  to 
another  ordinary,  the  house  now  known  as 
the  Coffin  house.  (Edmund  Greenleaf's  li- 
cense had  been  transferred  in  1650  to  Henry 
Somerby,  his  son-in-law,  and  upon  Somer- 
by's  death  in  1652,  young  Coffin  took  over 
the  widow  and  the  house.)  He  was  deacon 
of  the  first  church  in  Newbury  and  lived  in 
this  house  for  more  than  half  a  century  pass- 
ing the  property  down,  upon  his  death,  to 
his  youngest  son,  Nathaniel.  Nathaniel 
abode  here  until  he  was  eighty,  discharging 
meanwhile  many  offices  of  trust  in  the  col- 
ony. His  son.  Colonel  Joseph  Coffin,  born 
December  30,  1702,  was  the  next  occupant 
of  the  house,  and  for  nearly  thirty  years 
acted  as  the  town's  clerk.  He  had  eight 
children,  two  of  whom,  the  Rev.  Paul  Cof- 
fin D.  D.  and  Charles  Coffin  M.  D.  were 
graduated  at  Harvard.  Another  son,  Joshua, 
occupied  the  half  of  the  house  not  given 
over  to  his  father's  use.  His  children  — 
there  were  finally  twelve  of  them  —  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  obliged 

243 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

to  ask  for  leave  to  enlarge  the  old  roof-tree 
and  the  letter  in  which  he  did  this  gives  us 
a  vivid  glimpse  of  a  family  quarrel.  It 
reads : 

"  Honored  Sir, 

"  'Tis  in  your  power  to  make  my  life  (as 
to  outward  circumstances)  either  Happy  or 
Miserable  &  I  am  sure  'twould  be  with  the 
Greatest  Regrett  I  should  do  anything  to 
Render  your  life  uneasy.  I  don't  ask  you 
to  give  me  house  or  land  at  present,  although 
I  don't  think  in  that  case  I  should  be  un- 
reasonable (considering  my  family  Increases 
so  fast),  but  at  present  I  only  ask  Leave  to 
build  a  Bedroom  chimney  on  my  own  cost 
for  our  present  comfort.  Which  when  you 
have  properly  weighed  the  affair  &  Consid- 
ered what  you  have  done  for  Bro.  David 
and  Paul,  not  to  mention  Boyd,  for  their 
convenience,  &  my  present  need  of  what  I 
ask,  I  Cant  suppose  you  will  single  me  out 
from  the  rest  of  your  children  as  an  object 
of  your  Displeasure.  Since  I  don't  know 
as  either  of  them  have  done  more  to  merit 
your  favour,  I  now  Intreat  you,  Sr,  in  this 
Request  to  treat  me  only  as  a  son,  whose 
happiness  so  much  depends  on  your  appro- 

244 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

bation  &  afection.     I  am  Sr^  with  all  Due 
Reverence  &  Duty 

"  Your  Dependent  son, 
"Joshua  Coffin." 

Hard  indeed  must  have  been  the  heart 
v^hich  could  have  withstood  this  plea  for  a 
chimney!  Joshua  Coffin,  the  historian  of 
Newbury,  lived  and  died  in  this  house.  He, 
like  all  the  descendants  of  the  innkeeper 
Tristram,  followed  and  adorned  gentlemanly 
pursuits. 

Another  early  taverner  of  Newbury  was 
Hugh  March,  licensed  in  1670  by  the  court 
at  Ipswich  "  to  keep  an  ordinary  and  sell 
strong  drink."  For  several  years  previous 
to  March's  appointment,  there  seems  to  have 
been  considerable  difficulty  in  finding  a 
person  well  suited  to  the  profession  of  inn- 
keeper for,  two  years  before.  Captain  Paul 
White  had  undertaken  the  work  rather 
under  protest.  White  already  sold  liquor 
in  a  wholesale  way,  and,  once  introduced  to 
the  new  occupation,  seems  to  have  taken  to 
it  very  well.  At  any  rate  we  must  so  con- 
clude from  finding  that  his  wife  petitions 
in  1682,  three  years  after  his  death,  to  have 


245 


Among  Old  New  England  Inni 

the  license  he  had  taken  out  transferred  to 
her. 

Meanwhile  our  friend  March,  who  had 
begun  to  keep  his  famous  Blue  Anchor  Inn 
because  he  wanted  to,  became  involved  in 
quite  an  interesting  domestic  complication. 
When  his  license  was  granted  he  had  bought 
an  "  antient  tavern "  of  Stephen  Swett  and 
expended  a  large  sum  of  money  in  repairing 
and  enlarging  it.  Then  his  good  wife  Ju- 
dith died  and  he  married  Dorcas,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  Bowman  of  Connecticut,  whom 
he  believed  to  be  a  widow  but  who,  as  he 
was  subsequently  persuaded,  was  a  deserted 
wife  instead.  They  had  been  living  together 
two  years  when  he  learned  that  her  first  hus- 
band was  alive  and  in  Virginia!  The  affi- 
davits, numbering  nine  in  all,  in  which 
Hugh  and  his  sons  asserted  that  the  woman 
had  all  the  while  had  knowledge  of  her 
husband's  existence,  are  on  file  at  the  offxe 
of  the  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  Bos- 
ton and  make  very  interesting  reading.  The 
decision  of  the  General  Court  went  against 
March,  however,  for  it  reads  "  In  the  case 
now  in  Court,  touching  Hugh  March  & 
Dorcas,  his  wife,  the  Court,  upon  what  they 
have  heard  alledged  by  them  both  in  the 

246 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

case  and  duly  considered  thereof,  do  judge 
that  the  said  March  ought  to  take  the  said 
Dorcas  &  retayne  hir  as  a  wife,  and  to  ob- 
serve and  &  fuUfill  the  marriage  Covenant 
according  to  his  engagement."  Mrs.  March's 
statement  that  the  whole  story  had  been 
built  upon  the  malice  and  ill-will  of  March's 
children  had  evidently  made  due  impression 
upon  the  Court. 

But  March  refused  to  accept  the  decision 
and,  rather  than  support  the  wife  urged 
upon  him  by  the  judge,  sold  all  his  real 
estate,  —  except  just  enough  for  his  own 
uses,  —  and  so  was,  of  course  temporarily 
disqualified  from  serving  as  innkeeper.  His 
idea  appears  to  have  been  to  continue  the 
trade  through  his  son  John,  but  as  he  soon 
quarrelled  with  him,  also,  we  finally  find 
him  left  high  and  dry,  though  still  keeping 
up  a  good  fight  for  what  he  conceived  to  be 
his  rights.  The  petition  he  sent  to  the  Ips- 
wich court  at  this  stage  of  the  game  is  most 
quaint  and  interesting. 

"  To  the  honderd  County  Court  sitting  at 
Ipswich  this  26  of  September  1682 

"  The  petition  of  Hugh  March  of  New- 
bury humbly  showeth,  That  whereas  the 
towne    of    Newbury   being    destitute    of    an 

247 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ordinary  for  neer  two  yeres,  being  find  twise, 
and  likely  to  be  fined  the  3rd  time,  and 
could  find  no  man  that  would  undertack  it, 
divers  of  the  most  considerable  men  of  the 
towne  applyed  themselves  to  mee  to  keepe 
the  ordinary,  at  which  time  i  had  no  need  of 
it  or  inclination  to  it,  being  well  sat'ld  upon 
a  farme  of  my  owne  which  was  suffitiant  to 
maintaine  me;  but  by  the  of  ton  porsuasions 
and  solicitations  of  those  men  I  was  wiling, 
provided  I  might  have  the  free  consent  of 
the  towne  and  the  approbation  of  the  Court, 
which  I  had  freely  and  fully  in  a  publick 
towne  meting,  by  way  of  voate  and  by  this 
court's  free  exceptacion,  which  moved  mee 
to  purchase  at  a  deare  rate  that  place  which 
was  the  antient  place  of  an  ordinary,  wch 
being  out  of  repaire  caused  me  to  disburse 
great  sums  of  mooney  in  repairing  the  ould 
and  building  new  to  fit  it  for  the  townes 
and  cuntrys  benifit,  which  caused  me  to  sell 
one  good  farme  and  wholy  to  leave  my  farm 
that  I  lived  uppone. 

"  The  ordinary  that  I  bought,  tho  old  and 
out  of  repayer,  cost  me  120  lb  besids  to  the 
valeu  of  more  than  440  lb  I  layd  out  in 
building  barn,  stable  and  housing,  with  bed- 
ding &c  to  fite  myselfe  for  giving  publick 

248 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

conveniant  entertainment  for  the  country 
and  towne. 

"This  ordinary  was  by  me  kept  about  12 
yeres,  and  no  man  had  just  reason  to  com- 
plaine  for  want  of  anything  that  was  con- 
veniant, nor  did  yt  ever  I  heard.  Besides 
the  law  saith,  page  82,  that  no  man  shall  lose 
his  licance  before  he  be  convicted  of  some 
broache  of  law,  which  i  never  was: 

"  Altho  I  put  the  ordinary  out  of  my 
hands  for  a  time,  yet  it  was  for  my  lively 
hood  and  that  I  might  live  by  it  as  an  or- 
dinary. 

"  It  hath  bene  the  uisiall  custom  of  courts 
and  townes  to  put  antiant  persons  into  such 
places  and  callings  to  bee  a  help  to  them, 
rather  than  to  turn  them  out  after  ail  thayr 
cost  to  ye  undoing  and  that  because  the  pres- 
ent selectmen  do  not  give  ye  approbation 
under  thayre  hands.  I  had  not  only  the 
aprobation  of  the  selectmen,  but  of  the  towne 
also,  and  of  this  hondred  court  for  12  years 
together,  and  tharfor  hope  yt  this  hondred 
court  will  consider  my  case,  and  not  to  suf- 
fer any  man  to  be  undon  by  the  by  and  selfe 
ends  of  any  selectmen ;  for,  if  so,  the  country 
will  scarsly  ever  be  well  provided  for  with 
an  ordinary  to  content,  wch  will  be  a  dis- 

249 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

grace  to  the  country  in  other  places  in  the 
wourld,  for  who  will  lay  out  such  an  estate 
to  keep  an  ordinary  to  be  at  the  mercy  of 
the  next  new  selectman  whether  he  shall 
hould  it  above  one  yeare  or  no? 

"This  hondred  court  hauing  in  some 
measure  understood  how  i  committed  my 
estate  to  my  sone,  and  the  way  that  he  haue 
had  to  deprife  mee  of  my  licanse  and  like- 
wise of  my  estate,  wch  i  am  depely  soncable 
of  my  afflicttion,  being  further  agrivated  by 
his  execution  granted  from  the  hondred 
court  of  asistence  wch  I  presume  your  hon- 
ors are  not  unsonsable  of:  he  hauing  little 
mercy  on  his  father,  I  hope  you,  the  fathers 
of  the  land  will  haufe  more  mercy  upon 
mee. 

"  In  granting  yr  poore  petioner  his  licence 
for  the  ordinary  as  formerly,  wch  (under 
correction)  I  conceive  is  but  a  rationall  re- 
quest, either  to  my  self  or  som  other  yt  may 
be  put  in,  so  that  I  may  haue  the  bonifit  of 
that  my  estate  in  that  way  as  formerly,  and 
in  so  doing  you  shall  oblidg  your  humbe 
petioner,  to  pray.  Hugh  March." 

The  Ipswich  court  did  not  grant  this  re- 
quest, but  the  Boston  authorities,  to  whom 

250 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

March  then  appealed,  looked  with  more 
favour  on  his  cause,  and,  in  April,  1683,  he 
was  again  licensed  "  to  keepe  a  house  of 
publick  entertainment  in  Newbury,"  —  the 
wife  who  had  precipitated  all  this  to-do  hav- 
ing considerately  died  the  month  before. 

A  hundred  years  later  there  were  at  least 
two  very  famous  taverns  in  "  ould  New- 
bury;" Nathaniel  Low's  almanac  for  1788 
gives  the  names  of  all  the  most  noted  inn- 
holders  on  the  road  from  Boston  to  Ports- 
mouth and  those  he  mentions  in  Newbury 
are  Oliver  Putnam,  who  kept  what  has  lat- 
terly been  known  as  the  Illsley  house,  and 
William  Davenport,  proprietor  of  the  Wolfe 
Tavern.  Oliver  Putnam  had  formerly  been 
a  blacksmith  and  scythe-maker  and  it  is  very 
likely  that  he  preferred  his  early  calling. 
Certain  it  is  that,  after  keeping  a  public 
house  for  about  fifteen  years,  he  sold  out  to 
Isaiah  Illsley,  who  retained  possession  of 
the  place  until  May  25,  1802,  when  he  passed 
the  estate  over  to  Stephen  Illsley  Jr.  By 
this  time  it  had  ceased  to  be  an  inn  and  so 
its  history  does  not  properly  concern  us  any 
longer. 

The  Wolfe  Tavern  was  much  more  persist- 
ently hospitable.    When  William  Davenport 

251 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

bought  the  house  in  1743  he  was  a  carver, 
not  an  innkeeper  at  all,  and  he  occupied  the 
place  as  private  residence  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  But  in  1762  he  caused  extensive  alter- 
ations and  additions  to  be  made  to  it  and 
opened  it  as  a  house  of  entertainment  for 
travellers  hanging  out  as  a  sign  a  board 
adorned  with  the  features  of  General  Wolfe, 
his  hero.  For  William  Davenport  had  been 
the  captain  of  a  company  that  had  gone  to 
help  Wolfe  at  Quebec.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  he  gave  his  wife  a  guinea  when  he  left 
Newbury  in  1759  to  join  the  troops  and  the 
story  further  goes  that,  by  prudence  and 
economy,  she  was  able  to  return  the  guinea 
to  him,  unused,  when  he  returned  home. 
Very  like  this  guinea  helped  to  buy  the 
extra  furnishings  necessary  to  the  transfor- 
mation of  his  house  into  an  inn.  Be  this  as 
it  may  Davenport  had  been  on  the  Plains  of 
Abraham  with  his  company  September  13, 
1759,  the  day  when  Wolfe  gave  up  his  life 
in  the  service  of  his  country  and  it  was  with 
a  fine  sense  of  loyalty  that  he  displayed  the 
great  General's  portrait. 

This  tavern  at  the  corner  of  Threadneedle 
Alley  and  Fish  Street  (now  State  Street) 
soon  became  a  very  popular  place  of  resort. 

252 


^v 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

John  J.  Currier,  who  has  written  lovingly 
of  "  ould  Newbury  "  says  that  under  its  roof 
the  hungry  and  thirsty  found  comfort,  shel- 
ter, good  suppers  and  good  wine.  "  Satur- 
day evening,  from  all  parts  of  the  town,  men 
came  to  the  tavern  to  hear  the  news  and  to 
discuss  politics,  theology  and  the  state  of  the 
crops.  During  the  winter  months  farmers 
from  the  surrounding  country  brought  pork, 
butter,  grain,  eggs  and  poultry  to  market, 
and  gathered  in  the  capacious  bar-room  at 
night,  around  the  cheerful  blazing  fire,  to 
while  away  the  time  with  mugs  of  flip  and 
mulled  cider.  The  land  travel  from  Maine 
and  the  eastern  part  of  New  Hampshire 
passed  through  Newbury  on  the  way  to  Bos- 
ton; and  Wolfe  Tavern  or  Davenport's  inn, 
as  it  was  often  called,  soon  grew  to  be  fa- 
mous." In  the  early  days  of  Masonry  St. 
Peter's  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons 
often  met  at  Mr.  Davenport's  inn  and  the 
Newburyport  Marine  Society  for  many 
years  held  its  regular  monthly  assemblies 
there. 

In  the  days  preceding  the  recall  of  the 
Stamp  Act  the  house  was  a  hot-bed  of  rebel- 
lion as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  tav- 
ern bill  which  has  come  down  from  William 

253 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Davenport  to   a   lineal   descendant,   George 
Davenport  of  Boston: 

**  Dr.  Messrs.  Joseph  Stanwood  &  Others  of  the 
Town  of  Newburyport  for  Sundry  expences  at  My 
House  on  Thirsday,  Septr„  26th,  a.  Do  17650  At  the 
Grate  Uneasiness  and  Tumult  on  Occasion  of  the 
Stamp  Act. 

To  William  Davenport  Old  Tenor 

To  3  Double  Bowls  punch  by  Capt.  Robud^s 
Order  ;£  3,    7,  6 

To  7  Double  Bowls  of  punch  7,    7,  6 

To  Double  Bowl  of  Egg  Toddy  .  •  14, 

To  Double  Bowl  22/6  Single  bowl  11  /  3       i,  13,  9 
To  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  Double  bowl 
toddy  12/  I,  14,  6 

To  Bowl  Punch  11  /  3  Bowl  Toddy  6/  17,  3 

To  Double  Bowl  Toddy   12/  bowl  punch 

II /3  i»    3>3 

To  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  Nip  Toddy  3/1,  5,  6 
To  Mug  Flip  5  /  To  a  Thrible  Bowl  Punch 

33/9  1,18,9 

To  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  To  a  thrible 

Bowl  Ditto  33/9  22,  16,  3 

To  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  I,    2,  6 

To  a  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  I,    2,  6 

To  Thrible  Bowl  Punch  33/9  Double  Bowl 

Ditto  II  / 3  2,  16,  3 

To  Double  Bowl  Punch  22/6  Bowl  Ditto 

n/3  1,13,9 

254 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

To  Double  Bowl   Punch  22  /  6  To  Double 
Ditto  22/6  Bowl  2,    5, 

To  6  Lemons  15/  To  Bowl  of  Punch  11  /3  i,    6,  3 
To  2  Double  Bowls  Punch  2,    5, 

To  Double  Bowie  Punch  22/6  bowl  Punch 

11/3  i>i3>9 
To  2  Double  Bowls  Punch  i  /  5  To  bowl 

Punch  11/ 3  2,  16,  3 
To  Bowl  Punch  11  / 3  To  Bowl  Punch  11  /3  i,  2,  6 

To  the  Suppers  which  were  cooked  Hot  2,    5, 

To  8  Double  Bowls  Punch  after  Supper  9, 
To  Double  Bowl  Toddy  12/   Bowl  Punch 

II /3  I,  2,6 

To  Bowl  Egg  Toddy    7  /  7, 

To  6  pintes  and  \  of  Spirits  @  10/  per  pint  3,  5, 

To  a  Breakfast  of  Coffee  for  Sd  Company       2,  5, 

59>  i7>3 
Lawful  Money  7,  19,  7 J 

Newbury  Port  28  Sept.  1765 

Errors  excepted  William  Davenport." 

On  the  extreme  right  of  the  bill  is  also  a 
credit  account  of  eleven  pounds  received  in 
various  sums  from  Captain  Robud,  Richard 
Farrow  and  one  Celeby.  Five  days  after 
this  night  of  revelry  at  the  Wolfe  Tavern 
the  effigy  of  the  officer  who  had  accepted  the 
post  of  stamp  distributor  in  Newburyport 
was  hung  from  a  large  elm  tree  near  the 

25s 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

inn  and,  when  the  tar  barrels  underneath 
had  been  set  on  fire  its  rope  was  cut  and  the 
image  dropped  into  the  flames.  Very  likely 
the  idea  of  this  act  came  during  the  con- 
sumption of  those  many  "  Double  Bowls 
punch "  Landlord  Davenport  had  brought 
out  in  response  to  clamorous  demands. 

This  good  Boniface  died  September  2, 
1773,  and  was  buried  on  the  crest  of  the  Old 
Hill  burying  ground,  near  the  Hill  Street 
entrance.  His  immediate  successor  at  the 
inn  was  his  son  Anthony,  but  he  was  soon 
relieved  by  Moses  Davenport,  a  brother  who 
had  a  distinct  gift  for  the  calling.  Under 
his  management  the  patrons  of  the  house  in- 
creased and  the  business  prospered  amaz- 
ingly. Among  the  notabilities  entertained 
here  was  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux  who 
with  Baron  de  Talleyrand,  M.  de  Vaudreuil 
and  M.  Lynch  de  Montesquieu,  grandson  of 
the  famous  author,  travelled  through  New 
England  in  1782.  The  Marquis  in  the  sec- 
ond volume  of  his  Travels  (page  240)  gives 
an  interesting  description  of  his  visit  to  New- 
buryport  and  of  his  entertainment  there: 

"  The  road  from  Portsmouth  to  Newbury 
passes  through  a  barren  country.  Hampton 
is  the  only  township  you  meet  with.  ...  It 

256 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

was  two  o'clock  when  we  reached  Merimack 
ferry  and  from  the  shore  we  saw  the  open- 
ings of  the  harbor,  the  channel  of  which 
passes  near  the  northern  extremity  of  Plum 
Island,  on  which  is  a  small  fort,  with  a  few 
cannon  and  mortars.  .  .  .  After  passing  the 
ferry  in  little  flat  boats  which  held  only  five 
horses  each,  we  went  to  Mr.  Davenport's 
Inn,  where  we  found  a  good  dinner  ready. 
I  had  letters  from  Mr.  Wentworth  to  Mr. 
John  Tracy,  the  most  considerable  merchant 
in  the  place;  but,  before  I  had  time  to  send 
them,  he  had  heard  of  my  arrival,  and  as  I 
was  rising  from  table,  entered  the  room,  and 
very  politely  invited  me  to  pass  the  evening 
with  him.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  Colo- 
nel, whose  name  is  too  difficult  for  me  to 
write,  having  never  been  able  to  catch  the 
manner  of  pronouncing  it;  but  it  was  some- 
thing like  Wigsteps "  [probably  Colonel 
Edward  Wigglesworth].  This  Colonel  re- 
mained with  me  till  Mr.  Tracy  finished  his 
business,  when  he  came  with  two  handsome 
carriages  well-equipped  and  conducted  me 
and  my  Aide  de  Campe  to  his  country  house. 
This  house  stands  a  mile  from  the  town  in 
a  very  beautiful  situation;  but  of  this  I 
could  myself  form  no  judgment  as  it  was 


I  257 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

already  night.  I  went,  however,  by  moon- 
light to  see  the  garden,  which  is  composed 
of  different  terraces.  There  is  likewise  a 
hothouse  and  a  number  of  young  trees.  The 
house  is  very  handsome  and  well  furnished, 
and  everything  breathes  that  air  of  magnifi- 
cence, accompanied  with  simplicity,  which 
is  only  to  be  found  amongst  merchants. 

"  The  evening  passed  rapidly  by  the  aid 
of  agreeable  conversation  and  a  few  glasses 
of  punch.  The  ladies  we  found  assembled 
were  Mrs.  Tracy,  her  two  sisters,  and  their 
cousin,  Miss  Lee.  Mrs.  Tracy  has  an  agree- 
able and  a  sensible  countenance  and  her  man- 
ners correspond  with  her  appearance.  At 
ten  o'clock  an  excellent  supper  was  served; 
we  drank  good  wine.  Miss  Lee  sung,  and 
prevailed  on  Messieurs  de  Vaudreuil  and 
Taleyrand  to  sing  also.  Towards  midnight 
the  ladies  withdrew  but  we  continued  drink- 
ing Maderia  and  Xery.  Mr.  Tracy,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  the  country,  offered  us 
pipes,  which  were  accepted  by  M.  de  Taley- 
rand and  M.  de  Montesquieu,  the  conse- 
quence of  which  was  that  they  became  intox- 
icated and  were  led  home,  where  they  were 
happy  to  get  to  bed.  As  to  myself,  I  re- 
mained perfectly  cool,  and  continued  to  con- 

258 


flKSPKCTl  I  l.l.^      LNFOHM      i  IIB   Tcni^IC  , 

liut  they  /law  pill  in  <omphu   if/uiir  that  w0\ 
lAVEfix    ror/mrly  krpt  by  M'  JKm-:xp^f^ 


k.»    »    C«   I    (,  k  I    I    t 


WB17  JiYFOR 


NOTICE  OF  PRINCE  STETSON  REGARDING  HIS  TAKING 
CHARGE  OF  THE  WOLFE  TAVERN 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

verse  on  trade  and  politics  with  Mr.  Tracy 
who  interested  me  greatly  with  an  account 
of  all  the  vicissitudes  of  his  fortune  since 
the  beginning  of  the  war.  ...  I  left  New- 
buryport  the  thirteenth  at  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing and  often  stopped  before  I  lost  sight 
of  this  pretty  little  town."  Apparently  this 
sprig  of  the  French  nobility  found  the  Wolfe 
Tavern  a  house  to  make  one  regretful  at  leav- 
ing. 

In  1804,  Thomas  Perkins,  who  had  for 
some  years  served  at  the  old  stand  under 
Moses  Davenport,  was  licensed  as  an  inn- 
holder  and  assumed  control  of  the  Tavern 
on  his  own  account.  By  1807,  however, 
Prince  Stetson  is  found  to  be  the  landlord, 
—  and  during  his  incumbency  it  was  that 
the  famous  old  building  perished  in  the 
great  Newburyport  fire. 

Almost  the  last  public  occurrence  of  im- 
portance with  which  the  original  Wolfe  Tav- 
ern may  be  connected  is,  therefore,  New- 
buryport's  first  celebration  of  Washington's 
birthday,  in  the  year  1796.  The  president 
had  many  warm  friends  in  the  town,  and, 
because  they  knew  that  he  intended  soon  to 
retire  from  public  life  they  caused  the  fol- 
lowing to  be  printed  in  the  local  paper  early 

259 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

in  February,  "  At  the  desire  of  several  gen- 
tlemen it  is  requested  of  those  who  incline 
to  meet  in  celebration  of  the  Birthday  of 
the  President  on  Monday  next  the  22nd  in- 
stant, that  they  call  or  send  and  enter  their 
names  by  Saturday  noon  or  before  with  Mr. 
Richardson  at  the  Union  Hall,  where  it  is 
proposed  to  dine  on  that  day  at  2  o'clock." 

This  announcement  met  with  a  hearty  re- 
sponse and  in  addition  to  the  dinner  at 
Union  Hall,  —  where  there  were  toasts  and 
long  speeches  in  praise  of  Washington,  —  a 
large  number  of  merchants  and  mechanics 
sat  down  to  a  similar  repast  in  the  Wolfe 
Tavern.  Thus,  very  appropriately,  the  old 
building  is  linked  to  the  present  mode  of 
honouring  the  memory  of  our  most  distin- 
guished citizen. 

Prince  Stetson  was  not  to  be  daunted  by 
fire,  however,  in  his  laudable  desire  to  serve 
the  Newburyport  public  in  a  hostelry  named 
the  Wolfe  Tavern.  Only  two  weeks  after 
the  conflagration  we  find  him  informing  his 
friends  and  the  public  that  he  shall  open 
his  Tavern  on  Monday  next  "  in  the  House 
of  Col.  Bartlett,  State  St.,  where  he  solicits 
their  favors."  Bartlett's  house  proved  to  be 
only   a   temporary    accommodation    for   the 

260 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

tavern;  three  years  later,  Mr.  Stetson  re- 
moved to  Salem  and  Benjamin  Hale  set  up 
the  sign  of  General  Wolfe  at  the  corner  of 
State  and  Harris  streets  where  it  still  swings. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  sign  had 
remained  in  its  place  all  through  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  notwithstanding  the  hatred 
of  everything  which  savoured  of  royal 
power.  Once,  to  be  sure,  the  Essex  Journal 
declared  that  this  portrait  of  General  Wolfe, 
displayed  in  the  very  centre  of  the  place  "  is 
an  insult  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  truly 
republican  town."  But,  fortunately,  there 
were  still  some  older  inhabitants  who  re- 
called the  ardent  love  which  had  prompted 
William  Davenport  to  name  his  inn  after 
the  hero  of  Quebec  and  the  obnoxious  sign 
was  allowed  to  swing  on  unmolested.  Not 
long  ago  it  was  repainted  by  a  well-known 
artist  and  to-day  it  is  a  very  interesting  and 
stately  reminder  of  old  tavern  days  in  New- 
bury. 

Not  that  the  Wolfe  Tavern  had  a  mon- 
opoly all  that  time  of  public  entertain- 
ment in  the  town.  The  Essex  Gazette  of 
January,  1771,  proves  the  contrary  by  this 
notice : 


261 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"INN   AT   NEWBURY-PORT 

"William  Lambert,  from  Yorkshire  in 
England,  begs  Leave  to  inform  the  Publick 
that  he  has  taken  the  Inn  at  Newbury-Port, 
formerly  occupied  by  Mr.  Choate,  which  is 
now  completely  repaired,  and  new  furnished 
with  convenient  Furniture,  and  the  greatest 
variety  of  excellent  LIQUORS.  He  has 
also  provided  commodious  Stabling  for 
Horses  and  every  Accommodation  for  Trav- 
ellers and  others.  He  humbly  intreats  Cus- 
tom and  will  strive  by  his  good  Entertain- 
ment to  merit  the  Publick  Favour,  at  the 
Sign  of  the  Wentworth  Arms,  near  the 
Ferry,  in  Newburyport." 

Six  months  later  we  find  that  Robert 
Calder  from  London,  who  writes  himself 
down  as  "  late  servant  to  his  excellency  Gov- 
ernor Wentworth,"  has  purchased  William 
Lambert's  lease  and  offers,  in  addition  to 
the  attractions  of  his  predecessor's  advertise- 
ment "  best  Entertainement  with  diligent  at- 
tendance." Not  for  nothing  had  he  bent 
to  the  imperious  will  of  Governor  Went- 
worth, it  would  appear. 

Major  Ezra  Lunt  was  another  of  the  late 
eighteenth  century  innkeepers  in  Newbury, 

262 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

adding  the  calling  of  publican  quite  easily 
to  that  of  publisher,  stagecoach  proprietor 
and  veteran  of  the  Continental  army.  His 
inn  was  on  the  northwesterly  side  of  Fed- 
eral street,  near  the  corner  of  Water  street. 
The  splurge  par  excellence  in  the  inn- 
keeping  way  was  made,  however,  by  the 
enterprising  landlord  who  advertised  at  the 
SIGN  OF  THE  AMERICAN  EAGLE  in 
the  summer  of  1799.  Under  this  patriotic 
headline  '^  Samuel  Richardson  Informs  his 
friends  and  the  public  in  general  that  he 
has  removed  from  Union  Hall  into  that  spa- 
cious and  convenient  building  lately  occu- 
pied by  Captain  Ebenezer  Stocker,  East 
Corner  of  the  Ferryway  Wharf,  —  which 
he  has  opened  for  public  Entertainment  and 
will  make  every  exertion  to  gratify  and 
please  those  who  may  visit  his  House.  Every 
favor  will  be  gratefully  acknowledged. 
Good  accommodation  for  a  few  Boarders: 
likewise  Stabling  for  Horses."  It  is  inter- 
esting in  this  connection  to  note  that  the 
Newburyport  selectmen  had  fixed  by  law 
the  price  of  these  various  items  of  service. 
So,  because  the  landlords  could  not  under- 
bid in  price  they  overbade  in  attractions. 
The   law   placed   "  Dinners   at  taverns,   for 

263 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

travellers,  of  boiled  or  roast  meat,  with  other 
articles  equivalent,  exclusive  of  wine  at  i  /  6. 
Supper  and  breakfast  r/  each.  Lodging 
4/.  Keeping  a  horse  for  one  night,  or  for 
twenty-four  hours,  with  English  hay  2/ — ." 

The  Tracy  house,  which  had  accommo- 
dated Washington,  became  briefly  the  Sun 
Hotel,  early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  its 
proprietor,  Jacob  Coburn,  informing  the 
public  (May  5,  1807),  under  a  sign  which 
quite  effectively  reflected  the  features  of  Old 
Sol,  "  that  he  has  opened  a  spacious  HOTEL 
in  State  street,  Newburyport,  the  former 
mansion  of  the  late  Honorable  Nathaniel 
Tracy  Esq.,  and  where  Mr.  James  Prince 
last  resided.  Having  at  considerable  pains 
and  expense  put  the  above  in  a  situation 
suited  to  accommodate  gentlemen  he  assures 
them  with  confidence  that  they  will  find 
every  convenience  and  an  unremitting  atten- 
tion to  ensure  the  favor  of  the  Traveller. 
Good  horses  and  carriages  to  be  had  at  all 
W  hours." 

The  dwelling-house  of  the  eccentric 
"  Lord "  Timothy  Dexter  also  descended 
temporarily  to  tavern  uses,  heralded  by  the 
following  genial  announcement:  "The  sub- 
scriber of  Weare  N.  H.  acquaints  the  public 

264 


^ 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

that  he  has  taken  the  noted  house  on  High 
Street,  Newburyport,  known  by  the  name  of 
Dexter  House  (where  the  Lion  and  the 
Lamb  lie  down  together  in  peace  and  where 
the  first  characters  in  the  land  are  known 
to  make  their  stay)  which  he  opened  on  the 
20th  ult.  as  a  house  of  Entertainment  for 
the  weary  traveller  who  may  sojourn  thithel^ 
and  for  the  conviviality  of  the  jovial  citizens 
of  the  town  who  may  wish  to  spend  a  social 
hour  freed  from  the  cares  of  busy  life;  and 
he  respectfully  solicits  their  company,  fully 
persuaded  that  he  shall  be  enabled  to  afford 
them  satisfaction.  Country  people  are  in- 
formed that  he  will  entertain  them  as  rea- 
sonably and  with  as  good  cheer,  both  for 
man  and  beast,  as  any  regular  Innkeeper 
between  McGregor's  Bridge  and  Newbury 
port,  having  commodious  and  convenient 
stables   with    good    attendance.      He    flatters 

himself  they  will  call  and  see 

William     Caldwell."       This     advertisement 
might  have  been  written  yesterday,  so  mod- 
I      ern  is  its  tone  and  so  little  archaic  its  spell- 
I      ing.     Yet  its  date  is  April,  1810. 

Prince  Stetson,  formerly  of  the  Wolfe 
Tavern,  returned  to  Newburyport  in  1823 
and  assumed  charge  of  the  Washington  hotel 

265 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

on  the  corner  of  State  and  Temple  streets. 
He  had  the  honour  of  serving  Lafayette 
when  the  Marquis  visited  the  town  in  1824, 
and  took  the  spacious  apartments  in  the 
Tracy  house  which  Washington  had  occu- 
pied during  his  visit  in  1789.  The  land- 
lord's son,  Charles,  then  a  lad  of  thirteen, 
had  the  honour  of  acting  as  valet  de  chambre 
to  the  liberty-lover  who  had  done  so  much 
for  America  in  her  hour  of  need. 

A  tavern  which  is  constantly  mentioned 
in  John  Quincy  Adams's  account  of  his 
young  manhood  days  in  Newburyport  is 
Sawyer's  on  the  Bradford  road  at  or  near 
Brown's  springs,  and  within  the  present  lim- 
its of  the  town  of  West  Newbury.  One  in- 
teresting entry  in  the  diary  of  this  law  stu- 
dent is  that  of  May  21,  1788.  ^' I  walked," 
he  says,  "  with  Pickman  in  the  evening  to 
Sawyer's  where  we  drank  tea  and  made  it 
almost  ten  o'clock  before  we  got  home.  I 
then  went  up  with  my  flute  to  Stacy's  lodg- 
ings, our  general  headquarters.  About  a 
quarter  before  tw^elve  Stacy,  Thompson, 
Putnam  with  a  couple  of  young  lads  by  the 
name  of  Greenough  and  myself  sallied  forth 
upon  a  scheme  of  serenading.  We  paraded 
round  town  till  almost  four  in  the  morning." 

266 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

The  charming  home  of  Mrs.  Harriett 
Prescott  Spofford,  near  Newbury  port's  pic- 
turesque chain  bridge,  was  once  a  tavern, 
also.  It  was  then  close  to  the  public  high- 
way and  its  landlord,  Ebenezer  Pearson,  was 
therefore  not  exempt  from  suspicion  when 
Major  Elijah  P.  Goodridge  of  Bangor, 
Maine,  told,  December  19,  1816,  of  having 
been  assaulted  about  nine  o'clock  the  previ- 
ous evening,  very  near  its  doors,  and  robbed 
of  a  large  sum  of  money.  Pearson  proved 
to  be  only  one  of  the  many  who  were  sub- 
sequently accused,  however,  and,  when  Dan- 
iel Webster  took  the  matter  in  hand  he  made 
Goodridge  so  contradict  himself  on  the  wit- 
ness-stand that  verdicts  of  "  not  guilty  "  were 
brought  in  for  all  the  defendants.  The 
whole  thing  appears  to  have  emanated  from 
the  brain  of  the  Major  who,  in  order  'to 
escape  financial  trouble  and  at  the  same  time 
account  for  the  loss  of  his  personal  property, 
devised  the  scheme  of  a  robbery  and  carried 
it  into  effect,  firing  with  his  own  hand  the 
pistol  of  the  "  assailant." 

One  Newburyport  tavern-keeper  was  a 
good  deal  more  permanently  embarrassed  by 
the  cleverness  of  one  of  his  guests,  as  we 
shall  see  from  the  following  papers  on  file 

267 


/ 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

at  the  State  House  in  Boston  and  having  to 
do  with  the  escape  of  Bridget  Phillips,  who 
had  been  sent  to  Newburyport  for  safe  keep- 
ing during  the  siege  of  Boston: 

"  To  the  Honorable  Provincial  Congress 
at  Watertown,  June  22,  1775 

"  The  petition  of  Bridget  Philips  humbly 
showeth  that  she  hath  lately  arrived  from 
Ireland  and  is  desirous  of  going  to  her  hus- 
band now  in  Boston.  She  therefore  prays 
the  Honorable  Congress  that  they  would 
give  her  a  permit  to  go  into  the  town  of 
Boston  &  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  bound 
will   ever   pray.  BRIDGET  PHILIPS." 

In  answer  to  this  petition  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted  June  24,  1775:  — 
'^  Resolved,  that  General  Ward  do  not  suf- 
fer or  permit  Bridget  Phillips,  wife  to  an 
officer  under  General  Gage,  to  go  into  Bos- 
ton, nor  any  other  person  whatever,  without 
leave  first  obtained  of  this  Congress,  or  some 
future  house  of  representatives;  and  that 
an  express  be  forthwith  sent  to  the  committee 
of  safety  for  the  town  of  Newburyport,  to 
order  them  to  take  the  most  affectual  meas- 


268 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

ures  to  prevent  the  said  Bridget  from  going 
out  of  this  province,  or  to  Boston." 

The  lady  got  the  better  of  the  law-makers, 
however,  as  the  following  letter  shows:  — 

"  Newburyport,  26th  July,  1775. 

"Sir:  — 

"  We  received  some  time  since  a  Resolve 
of  the  late  Congress  ordering  that  Bridget 
Phillips  (who  called  herself  the  wife  of  a 
Captain  Phillips  in  Gen.  Gage's  Army) 
should  not  leave  the  Province  &  that  the 
Committee  here  be  desired  to  attend  to  her. 
Upon  the  receipt  of  it  we  applied  to  the 
Tavern  Keeper,  at  whose  house  she  was,  to 
keep  an  eye  upon  her  movements  &  to  in- 
form us  should  she  take  any  suspicious  steps, 
at  the  same  time  informing  her  that  she  must 
not  leave  the  Province.  This  she  judged 
to  be  very  harsh  but  appeared  for  a  month 
past  so  to  acquiesce  in  it  as  to  elude  any 
suspicion  in  us  that  she  would  take  pains  for 
her  escape.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  New 
General  at  Cambridge  she  seemed  to  flatter 
herself,  her  case  might  be  more  tenderly 
considered  by  them  &  that  upon  application 
they  would  permit  her  to  go  to  her  husband. 


269 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

This  she  mentioned  to  several  of  the  com- 
mittee but  was  told  she  must  not  go  to  Cam- 
bridge without  consent  of  a  majority  of 
them.  However  that  she  never  asked  &  the 
1 8th  Inst,  she  took  place  in  a  Chaise  with 
Capt.  John  Blake  (formerly  of  Boston) 
from  hence  to  Salem,  giving  out  that  she 
was  going  to  Head  Quarters  at  Cambridge. 
The  Tavern  Keeper  (Mr.  Greenleaf)  sup- 
posing it  not  beyond  the  limits  by  the  Order 
&  from  a  faulty  Inattention  never  gave  the 
Committee  notice.  It  was  not  for  a  day  or 
two  known  by  us  that  she  was  gone.  Upon 
enquiry  we  find  that  she  hired  a  Chaise  & 
Boy  at  Salem  &  in  company  with  Benjn 
Jenks  (who  is  said  to  belong  to  Casco  Bay) 
she  went  the  next  day  to  Haverhill  &  the 
next  to  Portsmouth  &  by  the  assistance  of 
this  Jenks  procured  herself  to  be  put  on 
board  the  Scarborough  Man  of  War  there. 
This  Intelligence  was  bro't  us  by  the  said 
Mr.  Greenleaf  whom  we  sent  in  pursuit  of 
her. 

"  As  she  was  a  Woman  &  appeared  of 
Some  Fashion  we  did  not  think  it  expedient 
to  put  her  under  close  Confinement  neither 
did  we  suppose  by  the  Order  it  was  intended. 


270 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

She  left  here  two  Trunks  supposed  to  con- 
tain valuable  apparrell  which  might  prevent 
in  Mr.  Greenleaf  the  apprehention  of  her 
intending  to  go  ofif.  We  judged  it  proper 
to  give  you  this  information  &  as  she  wrote 
for  her  Trunks  to  be  sent  to  Boston  we  beg 
your  Order  about  the  delivery  of  'em.  Upon 
this  occasion  give  us  leave  to  remark  what 
we  hinted  formerly  to  the  Committee  of 
War  at  Cambridge  the  ease  with  which  an 
escape  may  at  any  time  be  made  to  the  sta- 
tioned ship  at  Portsmh  as  things  are  now 
ordered.  We  are  respectfully 

"  Your  obedt  servnts 
"  JONA.  TITCOMB. 
"  p.  order  of  the  Committee. 
"  To    the    Honb.    James    Warren,    Esq., 
speaker   of    the    House    of    Representatives, 
to  be  communicated." 

The  result  of  all  this  was  that,  though 
Bridget  did  not  get  her  trunks.  Landlord 
Greenleaf  was   made   pretty  uncomfortable, 

—  and  what  was  of  far  greater  importance, 

—  the  seaport  towns  were  given  leave  to  do 
whatever  might  seem  to  them  wise  in  the 
way  of  preventing  other  such  escapes. 


271 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  privileges  of  tavern-keeping  were  so 
great  that  often  a  man  with  every  right  to 
whatever  his  house  might  earn  was  made 
exceedingly  uncomfortable  by  his  rivals. 
Such  was  the  case  with  the  host  of  the  Boyn- 
ton  Tavern  on  the  road  between  Newbury- 
port  and  Rowley.  In  March,  1811,  the 
other  landlords  of  Byfield  protested  against 
Boynton's  tavern,  stating  that  while  it  had 
been  established  for  some  time  they  doubted 
whether  its  continued  existence  was  neces- 
sary. "  The  influence  of  this  tavern  is  per- 
nicious to  the  morals,  the  peace  and  comfort 
of  some  families  in  the  vicinity,"  declares 
the  protest;  after  which  it  goes  on  to  allege 
that  "  the  undersigned  are  credibly  informed 
that  people  are  there  at  very  unreasonable 
hours  in  the  night "  and  that  "  even  the  holy 
Sabbath  is  profaned  by  persons  who  there 
pass  the  Sacred  hours  in  an  idle  and  disso- 
lute manner."  Whereupon  the  petitioners 
humbly  prayed  "  that  the  license  of  Mr. 
Boynton  may  not  be  renewed." 

Somehow,  though,  the  tavern  lived  on,  and 
once  it  was  even  able  to  add  to  its  capacity, 
thereby  bestowing  the  name  of  Adding  upon 
the  latest  scion  of  the  family.  Another  child 
of  this  eccentric  landlord  had  been   called 

272 


HOME  OF  MRS.  HARRIETT  PRESCOTT  SPOFFORD, 
NEWBURYPORT 


f 

/ 

1 

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1 

^^<^:i 

^^^^^^^^^■'i 

BOYNTON  TAVERN,  ON  THE  NEWBURYPORT  ROAD 


Old  Tavern  Days  in  Newbury 

Tearing  because  tavern-repairs  were  in  that 
stage  of  development  at  his  birth.  Verily, 
some  of  those  old  time  publicans  were  men 
of  decided  originality  I 


273 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  INNS  OF  IPSWICH 

Few  New  England  towns  of  the  twentieth 
century  preserve  so  much  of  the  aspect  of 
"  ye  olden  times "  as  Ipswich,  Massachu- 
setts. Dozens  of  its  houses,  still  occupied  as 
homes,  date  back  more  than  a  century,  and 
of  these  a  fair  number  have,  happily  for  us, 
been  at  some  time  in  their  history  a  tavern. 
Our  forefathers,  it  must  be  remembered  in 
explanation  of  this,  knew  nothing  of  the 
luxury  of  hot  tea  and  coffee  and  so  if  they 
would  drink  anything  but  water,  malt  beer 
and  other  spirituous  drinks  had  to  be  sup- 
plied and  dispensed  by  somebody.  In  the 
records  of  Ipswich  the  malster  and  the  tav- 
ern-keeper appear  very  early.  The  first  li- 
cense to  sell  was  granted  Robert  Roberts  by 
the  Court  of  Assistants  in  1635  and  soon 
many  men  of  high  reputation  sought  like 
privilege;  in  1652  Mr.  Robert  Payne,  Mr. 
Bartholomew    and   Jeremy    Belcher   all    re- 

274 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

ceived  licenses.  Deacon  Moses  Pengry  also 
kept  an  ordinary  and  dispensed  spirit! 

The  manner  in  which  the  deacon  came  to 
be  a  taverner  is  interesting  because  charac- 
teristic of  the  times.  Corporal  John  An- 
drews had  been  his  predecessor  in  the  stand 
on  High  street  known  for  far  and  wide  as 
the  White  Horse.  But  because  the  corporal 
kept  his  bar  open  after  nine  o'clock  and 
encouraged  young  men  to  drink  a  petition 
protesting  against  the  renewal  of  his  license 
was  presented  to  the  Court.  The  license 
was  accordingly  renewed  only  "  until  Salem 
Court"  where  in  June  1658  a  second  peti- 
tion was  filed  in  which  it  was  alleged  that 
the  recalling  of  Andrews'  privileges  "  will 
be  an  affectual  meanes  for  Ye  remooving  of 
much  sin  and  evill  and  minister  cause  of  joy 
and  thanksgiving  to  many  of  gods  people, 
amongst  us." 

In  answer  we  find  a  statement  that  "  the 
Court  having  considered  of  the  petetion  of 
many  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Ipswich,  to- 
gether with  Ye  complaint  and  information 
of  divers  strangers  for  want  of  needfull  and 
convenient  acomodation  and  entertaynment 
at  the  other  ordinarye  and  the  intymation 
of  the  selectmen  of  the  need  of  two  in  that 

275 


Among  Old  New  England  Inn^ 

town,  have  thought  meet  to  license  Corporal 
Andrews  to  keepe  an  ordinary  for  the  enter- 
taynment  of  strangers  only  till  the  next  court 
at  Ipswich,  and  not  longer,  provided  that  the 
Inhabitants  doe  at  the  sayd  Court  present 
some  meet  pson  to  keepe  an  ordinary  wch 
will  accept  of  the  same  and  the  Court  shall 
approve  of,  only  he  hath  liberty  in  that  tyme 
to  sell  wyne  and  beere  to  townsmen  out  of 
dores."  The  suitable  person  fixed  upon  was 
Deacon  Moses  Pengry.  He  accordingly  re- 
ceived his  license  on  September  7,  1658,  An- 
drews being  permitted  to  retain  his  until  the 
following  March. 

The  Corporal  meanwhile  appears  to  have 
vented  his  spite  upon  the  innocent  Deacon 
for  in  the  Court  Record  of  April  28,  1658, 
we  find  that  "  Corporal  John  Andrews 
stands  bound  to  ye  Treserer  of  this  County 
in  the  sum  of  fiftye  pound  upon  condidtion 
the  sayd  John  Andrews  shall  appeare  at  the 
next  Court  held  at  Ipswich  to  answer  to 
what  shall  be  objected  against  him  about  a 
vehement  suspition  of  severall  misdemeanors 
and  facts  as  pulling  down  the  signe  of  Moses 
Pengry  and  Mr.  Browne  his  gate  and  dore 
and  Lieut.  Sam.  Appleton  his  gate."  Mr. 
Browne   and   Lieut.   Appleton,   it  is  signifi^ 

276 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

cant  to  note,  had  been  among  the  signers  of 
the  petition  which  recalled  the  Corporal's 
license. 

Daniel  Ringe  was  licensed  in  1661  to  keep 
an  ordinary  but  "  not  to  draw  beer  above  a 
penny  a  quart,  and  to  provide  meate  for 
men  and  cattell."  The  following  year  John 
Perkins,  Andrew  Peters,  and  John  Whipple 
were  licensed,  the  last  to  sell  not  less  than 
a  quart  at  a  time  and  none  to  be  drunk  in 
his  house.  All  were  bound  "  not  to  sell  by 
retail  to  any  but  men  of  family  and  of  good 
repute  nor  sell  any  after  sun  sett;  and  that 
they  shall  be  ready  to  give  account  of  what 
liquors  they  sell  by  retail,  the  quantity,  time 
and  to  whom."  The  house  of  John  Whipple 
is  now  the  home  of  the  Ipswich  Historical 
Society  and  because  it  is  recognized  as  the 
finest  existing  specimen  of  colonial  archi- 
tecture it  is  herewith  reproduced  even 
though  none  of  the  liquor  its  proprietor 
dispensed  was  "  drunk  on  the  premises." 
Mr.  Jonathan  Wade,  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens, was  also  licensed  to  sell  at  about  this 
time  and  though  there  is  no  record  that 
Wade  broke  the  liquor  law  he  appears  to 
have  been  an  unpleasantly  contentious  per- 
son.     In    1645   he   had   been   summoned   to 

277 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

trial  and  fined  sixteen  shillings  for  ^'  afront- 
ing  the  Court"  and  in  1658  he  had  to  pay 
a  fine  of  five  pounds  and  witness  fees  for 
"  expensive  prices  in  selling  grindstones  and 
other  things."  These  were  days,  it  will 
be  seen,  when  to  set  a  prohibitive  cost 
upon  common  necessities  was  punishable 
by   law. 

Innkeepers  were  restricted  along  with  the 
rest,  6d  a  meal  being  the  limit  of  what  they 
were  allowed  to  charge  (1634).  In  the 
quality  of  the  comfort  provided  as  well  as 
in  the  matter  of  prices  the  public  appears 
to  have  been  protected,  too,  at  Ipswich.  The 
inventory  of  Richard  Lumpkin,  one  of  the 
earliest  innkeepers  of  the  town,  shows  that 
his  house  was  well  equipped  even  so  early 
as  1642,  the  date  under  which  it  is  filed  in 
the  Ipswich  Deeds.    For  he  had 

IN    THE    HALL 

One  large  table,  one  stoole,  two  formes  0-15-0 

Three  chaers  and  six  cushions  4-0 

In  bookes  2-10-0 

One  pair  of  cob  -  irons,  one  fire  pan  \ 

one  gridiron,  and  two  paire  of  tram-  >  1 0-0 

mels  and  one  paire  of  bellows  ) 

one  muskett,  one  fowling  piece  l-ioo 

278 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

IN   THE    PARLOR 

one  table  with  six  joined  stools  i-  5-0 

three  chairs  and  eight  cushions  14-0 

one  bedstead,  one  trundle  bed  and  curtins  i-io-o 

one  paire  cob -irons  one  firepan  o-  4-6 

one  chest  o-  4-0 

one  fether  bed,  two  bowlsters  \ 

two  pillows,  two  flock  beds,  five  blanketts  >         8-  0-0 

one  rug  one  coverlett  ) 

one  warming  pan  with  other  implements  6-0 

IN    THE    CHAMBER    OVER    THE    PARLOR 

one  bedstead,  one  trundlebed  lo-o 
two  flock  bedds,  one  fether  bed,  one  fether  \ 

bolster,  four  blanketts,  two  pillows  >         4-  0-0 

two  coverletts  ) 

four  chests,  two  boxes  I-  5-0 

one  table  3-0 

one  corslet  i-io-o 

one  fetherbed  tike  l-io-o 

IN    THE     LEANTO 

seven  brass  kettles,  one  iron  kettle  4-10-0 
one  small  copper  i-  0-0 
one  iron  pott,  four  posnetts,  with  other  imple- 
ments I-  0-0 
Ten  pewter  dishes,  etc.  2-  0-0 
In  plate  4-  0-0 

279 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

From  this  inventory  we  gain  a  good  idea 
of  the  furnishings  of  an  average  Ipswich 
tavern,  but  we  are  even  more  fortunate  in 
possessing  a  racy  picture  of  actual  life  in 
such  a  house,  as  it  leaped  hotly  from  the 
pen  of  the  gifted  bookseller  and  publisher, 
John  Dunton. 

Dunton  was  the  gay  Lothario,  immor- 
talized by  Pope  in  the  Dunciad,  who  mar- 
ried (August  3,  1682)  one  of  the  sisters  of 
John  Wesley's  mother  and  of  Defoe's  wife. 
This  lady  seems  to  have  shared  some  of  her 
husband's  Bohemian  tendencies  for  always 
they  called  each  other  Philaret  and  Iris,  and 
when  their  honeymoon  days  were  over  they 
settled  down  in  the  Black  Raven  in  Prince's 
street,  London,  where  they  lived  for  two 
years  without  a  single  care.  In  1685,  how- 
ever, following  Monmouth's  insurrection 
there  came  such  a  depression  in  the  book 
trade,  that  Dunton  resolved  to  leave  his  lov- 
ing spouse  and  come  to  New  England  to 
sell  his  wares.  Accordingly  he  sailed  from 
Gravesend  in  the  October  of  that  year  reach- 
ing Boston  after  a  four  months'  voyage.  He 
sold  his  books,  visited  Cambridge,  and  paid 
his  respects  to  the  venerable  Eliot  in  Rox« 
bury.     The  chief  interest  of  his  journeyings 

280 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

for  us,  however,  attaches  to  his  stay  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  at  their  house  in 
Ipswich,  —  a  visit  which  he  describes  thus 
in  a  letter  he  sent  home  to  his  wife: 

"  My  Landlady,  Mrs.  Wilkins,  having  a 
sister  at  Ipswich  which  she  had  not  seen 
for  a  great  while,  Mrs.  Comfort,  her  daugh- 
ter (a  young  gentlewoman  equally  happy 
in  the  perfections  both  of  her  body  and 
mind)  had  a  great  desire  to  see  her  aunt, 
having  never  been  at  her  house  nor  in  that 
part  of  the  country;  which  Philaret,  having 
a  desire  to  see,  and  being  never  backward 
to  accomodate  the  Fair  Sex,  profers  his  serv- 
ice to  wait  upon  her  thither,  which  was  read- 
ily accepted  by  the  young  lady,  who  felt 
herself  safe  under  his  protection.  Nor  were 
her  parents  less  willing  to  trust  her  with  me. 

"  All  things  being  ready  for  our  ramble 
I  took  my  fair  one  up  behind  me  and  rid 
on  our  way,  I  and  my  Fair  Fellow  Trav- 
eller to  Mr.  Steward's  who  wife  was  Mrs. 
Comfort's  own  aunt:  whose  joy  to  see  her 
niece  at  Ipswich  was  sufficiently  Expressed 
by  the  Noble  Reception  we  met  with  and 
the  Treatment  we  found  there;  which  far 
outdid  whatever  we  could  have  thought. 
And  tho  myself  was  but  a  stranger  to  them, 

281 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

yet  the  extraordinary  civility  and  respect 
they  showed  me,  gave  me  reason  enough  to 
think  I  was  very  welcome.  It  was  late  when 
we  came  thither  and  we  were  both  very 
weary,  which  would  not  excuse  us  from  the 
trouble  of  a  very  splendid  supper,  before 
I  was  permitted  to  go  to  bed;  which  was 
got  ready  in  so  short  a  time  as  would  have 
made  us  think,  had  we  not  known  the  con- 
trary, that  it  had  been  ready  provided  against 
we  came.  Though  our  supper  was  extraor- 
dinary yet  I  had  so  great  a  desire  to  go  to 
bed,  as  made  it  to  me  a  troublesome  piece 
of  kindness.  But,  this  being  happily  over, 
I  took  my  leave  of  my  Fellow  Traveller, 
and  was  conducted  to  my  apartment  by  Mrs. 
Stewart  herself,  whose  character  I  shant  at- 
tempt tonight  being  so  weary  but  reserve 
till  tomorrow  morning.  Only  I  must  let 
you  know  that  my  apartment  was  so  noble 
and  the  furniture  so  suitable  to  it,  that  I 
doubt  not  that  even  the  King  himself  has 
oftentimes  been  contented  with  a  worser 
lodging. 

"Having  reposed  myself  all  night  upon 
a  bed  of  Down,  I  slept  so  very  soundly  that 
the  Sun,  who  lay  not  on  so  soft  a  bed  as  I, 
had  got  the  start  of  me  and  risen  before  me; 

282 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

but  was  so  kind  however  as  to  make  me  one 
of  his  first  visits,  and  to  give  me  the  BON 
JOUR;  on  which  I  straight  got  up  and 
dressed  myself,  having  a  mind  to  look  about 
me  and  see  where  I  was:  and  having  took 
a  view  of  Ipswich  I  found  it  to  be  situated 
by  a  river,  whose  first  rise  from  a  Lake  or 
Pond  was  twenty  miles  up,  breaking  of  its 
course  through  a  hideous  swamp  for  many 
miles,  a  harbor  for  bears;  it  issueth  forth 
into  a  large  bay,  where  they  fish  for  whales, 
due  east  over  against  the  Island  of  Sholes, 
a  great  place  for  fishing.  The  mouth  of 
that  river  is  barred.  It  is  a  good  haven 
town.  Their  Meeting  House  or  church  is 
built  very  beautifully.  There  is  a  store  of 
orchards  and  gardens  about  it  and  good  land 
for  Cattel  and  husbandry. 

"  But  I  remember  I  promised  to  give  you 
Mrs.  Stewart's  character  &,  if  I  hadn't,  yet 
gratitude  and  justice  would  exact  it  of  me. 
Her  stature  is  of  a  middle  size  fit  for  a 
woman.  Her  face  is  still  the  magazine  of 
beauty,  whence  she  may  fetch  artillery 
enough  to  Wound  a  thousand  lovers;  and 
when  she  was  about  i8  perhaps  there  was 
never  a  face  more  sweet  and  charming  — 
nor  could  it  well  be  otherwise  for  now  at 

I  ^83 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

33  all  you  call  sweet  and  ravishing  is  in  her 
Face;  which  it  is  as  great  a  pleasure  to 
behold  as  a  perpetual  sunshine  without  any 
clouds  at  all;  and  yet  all  this  sweetness  is 
joined  with  such  attractive  vertue  as  draws 
all  to  a  certain  distance  and  there  detains 
them  with  reverence  and  admiration,  none 
ever  daring  to  approach  her  nigher  or  hav- 
ing power  to  go  further  off.  She's  so  oblig- 
ing courteous  and  civil  as  if  those  qualities 
were  only  born  with  her,  and  rested  in  her 
bosom  as  their  centre.  Her  speech  and  her 
Behavior  is  so  gentle  sweet  and  affable,  that 
whatsoever  men  may  talk  of  magik  therein 
none  charms  but  she.  So  good  a  wife  she 
is  she  frames  her  nature  to  her  husband's: 
the  hyacinth  follows  not  the  sun  more  will- 
ingly than  she  her  husband's  pleasure.  Her 
household  is  her  charge.  Her  care  to  that 
makes  her  but  seldom  a  non-resident.  Her 
pride  is  to  be  neat  and  cleanly,  and  her  thirst 
not  to  be  Prodigal.  And  to  conclude  is  both 
wise  and  religious  which  makes  her  all  I 
have  said  before. 

"  In  the  next  place  I  suppose  yourself  will 
think  it  reasonable  that  unto  Mrs.  Steward's 
I  should  add  her  husband's  Character: 
whose  worth   and  goodness  do  well   merit. 

284 


WHIPPLE  HOUSn,  IPSWICH 


CALEB  LORD  HOUSE,  IPSWICH 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

As  to  his  stature  'tis  inclining  to  tall:  and 
as  to  his  aspect,  if  all  the  lineaments  of  a 
sincere  and  honest-hearted  man  were  lost 
out  of  the  world,  they  might  be  all  retrieved 
by  looking  on  his  face.  He's  one  whose 
bounty  is  limited  by  reason,  not  by  osten- 
tation; and  to  make  it  last  he  deals  dis- 
creetly; as  we  sowe  our  land  not  by  the  sack 
but  by  the  handful.  He  is  so  sincere  and 
upright  that  his  words  and  his  meanfng 
never  shake  hands  and  part  but  always  go 
together.  His  mind  is  always  so  serene  that 
that  thunder  but  rocks  him  asleep  which 
breaks  other  men's  slumbers.  His  thoughts 
have  an  aim  as  high  as  Heaven  tho  their 
residence  be  in  the  Valley  of  a  humble  heart. 
He  is  not  much  given  to  talk  though  he 
knows  how  to  do  it  as  well  as  any  man.  He 
loves  his  friend  and  will  do  anything  for 
him  except  it  be  to  wink  at  his  faults  of 
which  he  is  always  a  severe  reprover.  He 
is  so  good  a  husband  that  he  is  worthy  of 
the  wife  he  enjoys,  and  would  even  make  a 
bad  wife  good  by  his  example." 

So  much  for  this  model  keeper  of  what 
is  to-day  the  Caleb  Lord  house.  But  not 
all  the  literature  connected  with  Ipswich 
taverns   echoes,    as    do   the   letters   of  John 

285 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Dunton,  with  praise  of  Ipswich  housewives. 
John  Adams,  for  instance,  has  only  impa- 
tient scorn  for  the  hostess  of  TreadwelPs 
Tavern  at  Ipswich.  "  Landlord  and  land- 
lady are  some  of  the  grandest  people  alive, 
landlady  is  the  great-grand-daughter  of  Gov- 
ernor Endicott,  and  has  all  the  great  notions 
of  high  family  that  you  find  in  Winslows, 
Hutchinsons,  Quincys,  Saltonstalls,  Chand- 
lers, Leonards,  Otises,  and  as  you  might  find 
them  with  more  propriety  in  the  Winthrops. 
Yet  she  is  cautious  and  modest  about  dis- 
covering it.  She  is  a  new  light;  continually 
canting  and  whining  in  a  religious  strain. 
The  Governor  was  uncommonly  strict  and 
devout,  evidently  so  in  his  day;  and  his 
great-great  grand-daughter  hopes  to  keep  up 
the  honor  of  the  family  in  hers  and  distin- 
guish herself  among  her  contemporaries  as 
much.  ^  Terrible  things  sin  causes,'  sighs 
and  groans  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth.  ^  The 
death  of  Christ  shows  above  all  things  the 
heinous  nature  of  Sin!  How  awfully  Mr. 
Kent  talks  about  death!  how  lightly  and 
carelessly!  I  am  sure  a  man  of  his  years, 
who  can  talk  so  about  death,  must  be  brought 
to  feel  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth  here  or 
made  to  repent  of  it  forever.    How  dreadful 

236 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

it  seems  to  me  to  hear  him,  I  am  so  afraid 
of  death  and  so  concerned  lest  I  a'nt  fit  and 
prepared  for  it.  What  a  dreadful  thing  it 
was  that  Mr.  Gridley  died  so!  —  too  great, 
too  big,  too  proud  to  learn  anything;  would 
not  let  any  minister  pray  with  him;  said  he 
knew  more  than  they  could  tell  him,  asked 
the  news  and  said  he  was  going  where  he 
should  hear  no  news.' 

"  Thus  far  landlady.  As  to  landlord,  he 
is  happy  and  as  big,  as  proud,  as  conceited 
as  any  nobleman  in  England;  always  calm 
and  good-natured  and  lazy,  but  the  contem- 
plation of  his  farm  and  his  sons  and  his  horse 
and  pasture  and  cows,  his  sound  judgment 
as  he  thinks,  and  his  great  holiness,  as  well 
as  that  of  his  wife,  keep  him  as  erect  in  his 
thoughts  as  a  noble  or  a  prince." 

I  would  rather  have  been  a  guest  of  the 
red-blooded  Stewarts,  would  not  you?  The 
touching  story  of  Lydia  Wardwell,  who  was 
tied  to  the  fence-post  of  the  Ipswich  Tavern 
where  the  Court  sat,  and  lashed  on  the  bare 
back  with  thirty  cruel  stripes  makes  one  boil 
with  indignation,  even  at  this  distance  of 
time  at  the  ultra-religionists  who  were  so 
little  Christ-like.  Of  course  the  act  of  this 
"  young  and  tender  chaste  person  "  who  "  as 

287 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

a  sign  of  spiritual  nakedness  "  walked  into 
the  Newbury  meeting-house,  unclothed,  dur- 
ing the  hour  of  public  worship  must  have 
administered  a  sad  shock  to  the  Christians 
of  that  day.  Whittier's  description  of  an- 
other Quaker  maiden  who  similarly  distin- 
guished herself  makes  us  feel  the  horror  of 
the  scene: 

"  Save  the  mournful  sackcloth  about  her  wound 
Unclothed  as  the  primal  mother, 
With  limbs  that  trembled  and  eyes  that  blazed 
With  a  fire  that  she  dare  not  smother.  .  .  , 

"  And  the  minister  paused  in  his  sermon's  midst 
And  the  people  held  their  breath, 
For  these  were  the  words  the  maiden  said 
Through  lips  as  pale  as  death:  .  .  . 

"  Repent !  repent !  ere  the  Lord  shall  speak 
In  thunder  and  breaking  seals  I 
Let  all  souls  worship  him  in  the  way 
His  light  within  reveals. 

"  She  shook  the  dust  from  her  naked  feet. 
And  her  sackcloth  closely  drew 
And  into  the  porch  of  the  awe-hushed  church 
She  passed  like  a  ghost  from  view." 

But  fanatical  and  unfortunate  as  was  this 
mode    of    testifying    love    for    the    Lord    it 

288 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

would  not  seem  to  call  for  brutal  treatment 
before  a  crowd  of  tavern-loafers  and  one 
does  not  need  to  be  a  Quaker  to  feel  with 
George  Bishop  in  his  ^^  New  England 
Judged "  that  the  punishment  much  too 
nearly  fitted  the  crime. 

Bishop  explains  the  young  woman's  act 
as  follows :  "  Seeing  the  wickedness  of  your 
priests  and  rulers  to  her  husband  [a  perse- 
cuted Quaker]  she  was  not  at  all  offended 
with  the  truth  but  as  your  wickedness 
abounded  so  she  withdrew  and  separated 
from  your  church  at  Newbury,  of  which 
she  was  sometimes  a  member  and  being 
given  up  to  the  leading  of  the  Lord,  after 
she  had  been  often  sent  for  to  come  thither, 
to  give  a  reason  of  such  a  separation,  it 
being  at  length  upon  her  in  the  considera- 
tion of  their  miserable  condition,  who  were 
thus  blinded  with  ignorance  and  persecu- 
tion, to  go  to  them,  and  as  a  sign  to  them 
she  went  in  (though  it  was  exceeding  hard 
to  her  modest  and  shamefaced  disposition) 
naked  amongst  them,  which  put  them  into 
such  a  rage  instead  of  consideration,  they 
soon  laid  hands  on  her,  and  to  the  next  court 
at  Ipswich  had  her,  where  without  law  they 
condemned  her  to  be  tyed  to  the  fence-post 

289 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

of  the  tavern  where  they  sat — and  there 
sorely  lashed  her  with  twenty  or  thirty  cruel 
stripes.  And  this  is  the  discipline  of  the 
church  of  Newbury  in  New  England,  and 
this  is  their  religion  and  their  usage  of  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord,  who  in  a  great  cross 
to  her  natural  temper,  came  thus  among 
them,  a  sign  indeed,  significatory  enough  to 
them,  and  suitable  to  their  state,  who  under 
the  visor  of  religion,  were  thus  blinded  into 
cruel  persecution."  Bishop,  it  is  interesting 
to  note,  stands  alone  among  the  early  writers 
in  palliating  the  offence  of  Lydia  Wardwell 
and  in  condemning  the  men  who  punished 
her. 

Some  of  the  petitions  for  inn-keeping  priv- 
ileges in  Ipswich  are  exceedingly  quaint. 
In  1733,  for  instance,  John  Stacey,  being 
incapable  of  labour,  reminded  the  Town 
"  that  there  is  a  convenience  on  the  northerly 
side  of  the  Rock  by  Ebenezer  Smith's  for 
setting  an  house  upon  "  and  prayed  that  '^  he 
might  obtain  a  grant  for  setting  a  house  for 
selling  cakes,  ale  etc  for  his  livelihood." 
His  request  was  granted  and  the  resulting 
house  is  still  standing  upon  the  site  to  which 
it  was  removed  in  1834  from  the  ledge  in 
front  of   the  old   Seminary  building.     An- 

290 


The  Inns  of  Ipswich 

other  old  hostelry  which  may  still  be  easily 
found  is  the  Ross  Tavern  built  in  1734  and 
now  situated  on  one  of  Ipswich's  busiest 
streets  under  the  shadow  of  a  magnificent 
elm.  The  town  boasts  also  of  an  inn  at 
which  our  first  President  was  entertained,  — 
a  famous  old  place  long  known  as  the  Swa- 
sey  house,  some  account  of  which  will  be 
found  in  the  chapter  on  the  Washington 
taverns  of  New  England. 


291 


CHAPTER   XIV 

SOME  PORTSMOUTH  PUBLICANS  AND  THEIR 
FAMOUS  GUESTS 

Portsmouth  was  exceptionally  rich  in 
inn-keepers  of  unusual  personal  qualities  and 
they,  in  turn,  had  opportunity  to  entertain 
many  guests  of  high  distinction.  For  the 
first  regular  stagecoach  run  from  any  town 
north  of  Boston  to  that  centre  of  New  Eng- 
land industries  came  from  Portsmouth,  ter- 
minating at  the  inn  of  Mr.  John  Stavers. 
It  was  the  enterprise  of  his  brother  Barthol- 
omew who  in  April,  1761,  thus  announced 
his  venture: 

"  For  the  Encouragement  of  Trade  from 
Portsmouth  to  Boston 

"A    LARGE    STAGE    CHAIR, 

With  two  good  horses  well  equipped,  will 
be  ready  by  Monday  the  20th  inst.  to  start 

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Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

out  from  Mr.  Stavers,  innholder,  at  the  Sign 
of  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  in  this  town  to  per- 
form once  a  week;  to  lodge  at  Ipswich  the 
same  night;  from  thence  through  Medford 
to  Charlestown  ferry;  to  tarry  at  Charles- 
town  till  Thursday  morning,  so  as  to  return 
to  this  town  the  next  day;  to  set  out  again 
on  the  Monday  following:  It  will  be  con- 
trived to  carry  four  persons  besides  the 
driver.  In  case  only  two  persons  go  they 
may  be  accommodated  to  carry  things  of 
bulk  and  value  to  make  a  third  or  fourth 
person.  The  price  will  be  Thirteen  shillings 
and  sixpence  sterling  for  each  person  from 
hence  to  Boston,  and  at  the  same  rate  of 
conveyance  back  again;  though  under  no 
obligation  to  return  in  the  same  week  in  the 
same  manner. 

"  Those  who  would  not  be  disappointed 
must  enter  their  names  at  Mr.  Stavers  on 
Saturday,  any  time  before  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  and  pay  one  half  at  entrance, 
the  remainder  at  the  end  of  the  journey. 
Any  gentleman  may  have  business  transacted 
at  Newbury  or  Boston  with  fidelity  and 
despatch,  on  reasonable  terms. 

"  As  gentlemen  and  ladies  are  often  at  a 
loss  for  good  accommodations  for  travelling 

293 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

from  hence,  and  can't  return  in  less  than 
three  weeks  or  a  month,  it  is  hoped  that  this 
undertaking  will  meet  with  suitable  encour- 
agement, as  they  will  be  wholly  freed  from 
the  care  and  charge  of  keeping  chairs  and 
horses,  or  returning  them  before  they  had 
finished  their  business." 

The  establishment  of  regular  conveyances 
between  Boston  and  Portsmouth  marked  an 
important  step  in  the  history  of  transporta- 
tion. To  be  sure  this  was  not  the  first  stage- 
coach of  the  country,  for  Jonathan  Ward- 
well  established  on  May  13,  1718,  a  line  that 
ran  from  his  Orange  Tree  in  Boston  to 
Rhode  Island,  and  in  172 1  there  was  a  road- 
wagon  over  the  same  route.  Moreover,  in 
1734,  two  stagecoaches  were  advertised  for 
this  same  much-travelled  road.  But  Bar- 
tholomew Stavers'  line  was  the  first  so  far 
north,  as  has  been  said,  and  it  prospered 
from  the  very  beginning.  A  month  after  the 
initial  advertisement  "  several  stages  having 
been  performed  with  satisfaction,  notice  was 
given  that  five  persons  could  be  carried; 
that  in  future  the  vehicle  would  leave  on 
Tuesday  instead  of  Monday  night  and  ar- 
rive back  on  Saturday  night."  In  Novem- 
ber   1762   it  is   announced   that  the   "  Stage 

294 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

Chaise  will  run,  except  in  bad  weather, 
through  the  winter;    fare  $3.00." 

The  distinctive  name  given  this  convey- 
ance is  interesting.  The  method  of  transpor- 
tation set  up  in  1767  between  Salem  and 
Boston  was  a  *^  Stage  Chaise  "  while  on  the 
shorter  routes  out  of  Boston  a  "  Stage 
Coach "  and  a  "  stage  wagon "  were  used. 
In  1772  Boston  was  connected  with  Marble- 
head  by  a  "stage  chariot;"  by  May  1763 
we    find    Bartholomew    Stavers    announcing 

"The  Portsmouth  Flying  Stage  Coach 

Is  now  finished,  which  will  carry  six  per- 
sons inside;  runs  with  four  or  six  horses; 
each  person  to  pay  13s.  6d.  to  Boston,  and 
4s.  6d.  to  Newbury.  Sets  out  from  the  sign 
of  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  every  Tuesday  morn- 
ing between  7  and  8  o'clock,  goes  through 
Newbury  to  Boston,  and  will  put  up  at  good 
inns  on  the  road  where  good  entertainment 
and  attendance  are  provided  for  the  passen- 
gers in  the  coach.  The  subscriber,  master 
of  the  stage  coach,  is  to  be  spoke  with  from 
Saturday  night  to  Monday  night,  at  Mr. 
John  Stavers's,  innholder,  at  the  sign  of  the 
Earl  of  Halifax. 

"  Bartholomew  Stavers." 
295 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

The  speed  usually  attained  by  a  Stavers 
coach  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  a 
special  express  from  Boston  carrying  impor- 
tant news  made  the  journey  between  eleven 
o'clock  one  morning  and  two  the  next  after- 
noon. But  "  on  the  road  good  entertainment 
and  attendance  were  provided  for  the  pas- 
sengers in  this  coach ;  "  and  at  Portsmouth 
they  had  the  extreme  felicity  to  be  dropped 
at  the  door  of  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  where 
the  coachman's  brother  John  exercised  hos- 
pitable sway! 

John  profited  so  much  from  the  establish- 
ment of  the  "  Stage  Chair"  that  in  1765  he 
left  his  first  inn  on  Queen  street  for  the 
stand  which  still  survives,  and  which  history 
and  romance  have  combined  to  make  one 
of  the  best-known  buildings  in  Portsmouth. 
The  new  inn  was  completed  in  1770  and  the 
old  sign  of  the  "  Earl  of  Halifax "  was 
transferred  to  identify  the  site.  In  the  upper 
room  of  this  house  the  Masonic  meetings  of 
St.  John's  lodge  were  for  several  years  held, 
and  the  Grand  Lodge  of  New  Hampshire 
also  met  here. 

But  it  is  with  a  romantic  marriage  rather 
than  with  Masonry  that  the  house's  history 
is  chiefly  bound  up.    For  it  was  in  the  door- 

296 


THE  EARL  OF  HALIFAX  (STAVERS  INN),  PORTSMOUTH 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

way  of  this  inn  that  Dame  Stavers  "  in  her 
furbelows  "  once  said  "  as  plain  as  day  " 

"  Oh,  Martha  Hilton  !  Fie  !  how  dare  you  go 
About  the  town  half  dressed  and  looking  so ! " 

only  to  receive  from  the  barefooted  girl  she 
had  hoped  to  shame  the  laughing  assurance 
that  she  would  yet  ride  in  her  own  chariot. 
She  did,  too,  for,  as  I  have  elsewhere  ^  told, 
she  very  soon  after  made  an  ineradicable 
impression  upon  Governor  Benning  Went- 
worth,  leading  personage  in  the  Colony  and 
owner  of 

**....  A  Great  House  looking  out  to  sea, 
A  goodly  place,  where  it  was  good  to  be.** 

But  it  was  also  good  to  be  at  the  Earl  of 
Halifax  back  in  1774  or  thereabouts.  At 
any  rate  the  Tories  thought  so  and  used  to 
gather  nightly  to  drink  to  the  King  and  his 
continued  prosperity.  So  much  indeed  was 
the  house  a  place  of  resort  for  "  the  ruffled 
and  laced  government  officials "  that  John 
Stavers  became  very  unpopular  with  certain 
other  of  his  townsfolk.     The  Sons  of  Lib- 

*  See  "  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Roof -Trees." 

297 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

erty,  especially,  looked  with  hostile  eye  upon 
the  Tory  gatherings  in  the  Earl  of  Halifax, 
and,  one  day,  when  Hopley  Yeaton  was 
marching  a  company  of  recruits  down  the 
street,  he  threatened  to  smash  the  inn's  win- 
dows if  any  one  looked  out.  No  one  looked 
as  it  happened  and  apparently  this  so  dis- 
appointed Portsmouth's  liberty-lovers  that 
they  resolved  to  make  an  opportunity  to  af- 
front Landlord  Stavers.  Accordingly,  a  few 
days  later,  a  mob  gathered  in  front  of  the 
house  and  began  to  chop  at  the  post  upon 
which  swung 

"  The  portrait  of  the  Eari  of  Halifax 
In  scadet  coat  and  periwig  of  flax." 

In  not  unnatural  irritation  Mr.  Stavers 
armed  his  slave  with  an  axe  and  bade  him 
tell  the  invader  to  desist.  Confused  in  the 
crowd,  the  poor  black  lost  his  self-command 
and  struck  to  the  ground  with  the  side  of  his 
weapon  Mark  Noble,  who  was  wielding  the 
encroaching  axe.  Noble  survived  —  but  was 
an  insane  man  for  almost  all  of  the  forty 
years  he  afterwards  lived. 

Of  course  this  terrible  assault  still  further 
enraged   the  crowd,   and  five  minutes  later 

298 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

there  was  not  a  pane  of  glass  left  in  any  of 
the  tavern's  windows.  Meanwhile  Mr.  Sta- 
yers, taking  a  liberal  supply  of  gold  in  his 
pocket,  hastened  to  the  stable  by  the  back 
door,  and,  bridling  his  little  black  mare, 
rode  for  his  life  through  Jefferson  street. 
Two  men  on  horseback  came  hotly  pursuing, 
however,  and  ere  he  had  gone  many  miles, 
drew  near  enough  to  hail  him  and  bid  him 
stop.  This  he  had  no  intention  of  doing 
and,  adroitly  turning  into  a  barn,  just  after  he 
had  passed  a  curve  in  the  road  he  gave  his 
followers  the  slip.  Then  he  took  refuge  for 
a  fortnight  in  Stratham  with  William  Pottle 
Jr.,  a  man  who  had  usually  supplied  his  inn 
with  ale,  and  who*  because  of  his  Tory  sym- 
pathies soon  had  plenty  of  troubles  of  his 
own. 

Portsmouth  all  this  time  was  in  the  great- 
est commotion  and  there  was  crying  need 
that  someone  with  a  cool  head  should  take 
the  mob  in  hand.  John  Langdon,  with  other 
leading  patriots  of  the  day,  went  to  the  inA 
with  all  possible  speed,  therefore.  Langdon 
arrived  just  in  time  to  put  a  check  upon 
what  had  now  become  wanton  destruction. 
As  he  entered  the  northeast  parlour  one  of 
the  mob  had  just  raised  a  chair  to  dash  in 

299 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

pieces  an  elegant  mirror!  Langdon  seized 
the  young  man's  arm.  "  Stop,"  he  said, 
"have  a  dash  at  me  first;  you  may  perhaps 
be  doing  more  harm  than  good  here." 

The  affrighted  slave  had  immediately  dis- 
appeared, and  for  a  long  time  could  no- 
where be  found.  At  length  he  was  discov- 
ered in  a  large  rain-water  tank  in  the  cellar, 
nearly  up  to  his  chin  in  water!  His  master, 
when  he  was  enabled  by  Captain  Langdon's 
good  offices  to  return  to  town,  was  seized  by 
the  Committee  of  Safety  and  thrust  into 
Exeter  jail,  where  he  might  have  languished 
much  longer  than  he  did  had  not  the  victim 
of  the  assault  sent  out  the  following  almost 
lucid  letter  in  his  behalf: 

"  Portsmouth,  February  3,  1777 
"  To  the  Committee  of  Safety  the  Town 
of  Exeter: 

"Gentlemen:  —  As  I  am  informed  that 
Mr.  Stivers  is  in  confinement  in  goal  upon 
my  account  contrary  to  my  desire,  for  when 
I  was  at  Mr.  Stivers  a  fast  day  I  had  no 
ill  luck  nor  ment  none  against  the  Gentle- 
man but  by  bad  luck  or  misfortune  I  have 
received  a  bad  blow  but  it  is  so  well  that 
I  hope  to  go  out  in  a  day  or  two.     So  by 

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Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

this  gentlemen  of  the  Committee  I  hope  you 
will  release  the  gentleman  upon  my  account. 
I  am  yours  to  serve.         Mark  Noble. 

"  A  friend  to  my  country." 

Once  released  our  landlord  soon  removed 
all  suspicions  as  to  his  Toryism.  Though  he 
was  personally  opposed  to  taking  up  arms 
against  his  brother  Englishmen  he  willingly 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  loyally  kept 
his  promise  not  to  oppose  in  any  way  the 
effort  to  procure  independence.  The  dam- 
age the  mob  had  done  his  house  was  not 
easily  forgotten,  though,  and  so  slow  was  he 
to  make  the  needed  repairs  in  the  place  that 
many  distinguished  officers  of  the  Revolu- 
tion feasted  in  rooms  that  had  scarcely  a 
pane  of  glass  in  the  windows.  When  the 
place  was  finally  refitted,  he  took  the  hint 
the  mob  had  so  rudely  offered  and  substi- 
tuted the  name  and  features  of  William  Pitt 
for  those  which  had  offended  the  patriots 
of  Portsmouth.  In  1782  when  the  French 
fleet  visited  Portsmouth  all  the  officers  put 
up  at  this  inn  and  here  to  visit  them  came 
Lafavette  having  made  the  trip  from  Provi- 
dence on  purpose.  Upon  this  occasion  as  on 
many  another  of  state  the  white  uniforms  of 

301 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

these  brave  young  men  had  no  doubt  been 
renewed  by  contact  with  the  large  meal  chest 
in  Landlord  Stavers'  attic;  it  was  their  habit 
to  complete  their  morning  toilet  by  rolling 
over  there  a  few  times,  thus  making  up  for 
the  lack  of  the  white  powder  to  which  they 
were  accustomed. 

John  Hancock,  Elbridge  Gerry  and  Gen- 
eral Knox  were  other  distinguished  guests  at 
this  house  and  Louis  Phillippe  and  his  two 
brothers  failed  to  be  accommodated  here 
only  for  lack  of  room.  (The  future  king  of 
France  was  immediately  made  welcome,  it 
is  interesting  to  add,  in  the  hospitable  home 
of  Governor  Langdon  and  he  so  enjoyed  his 
stay  there  that  he  asked  with  keen  interest 
years  afterward  of  a  Portsmouth  lady  who 
had  just  been  presented  to  him  at  court,  "  Is 
the  pleasant  mansion  of  Governor  Langdon 
still  standing?") 

Washington  also  once  honoured  the  house 
with  his  presence,  walking  down  Pitt  street, 
on  foot,  to  pay  his  call  of  ceremony,  at  the 
end  of  his  visit  in  1789,  to  General  John 
Sullivan,  President  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
his  Council  here  convened. 

Concerning  the  house  which  was  Wash- 
ington's own  headquarters  during  this  visit 

302 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

to  Portsmouth  something  has  been  said  in 
another  chapter  but  the  grewsome  story  con- 
nected with  the  place  remains  to  be  told. 
High  Sheriff  Thomas  Packer  lived  in  that 
house  in  1768,  and  it  was  in  order  that  he 
might  not  be  late  for  his  dinner  there  that 
he  sacrificed  the  life  of  Ruth  Blay  and  made 
his  name  infamous  in  history. 

This  unfortunate  young  woman  was  in- 
dicted in  August,  1768,  for  concealing  the 
death  of  an  illegitimate  child,  an  omission 
which  made  it  impossible  to  determine 
whether  the  babe  had  been  murdered  or 
whether  it  had  been  dead  when  born.  The 
English  statute  prescribed  the  penalty  of 
death  for  this  offence,  so  poor  Ruth  Blay 
was  driven  to  the  gallows  in  an  open  cart 
shrieking  in  a  truly  blood-curdling  way. 
Her  case  had,  however,  awakened  much 
sympathy,  and  it  was  believed  that  the  Gov- 
ernor would  grant  a  reprieve.  But  when  the 
hour  appointed  for  the  execution  arrived  the 
papers  had  not  come,  and  the  sheriff,  not 
wishing  to  be  late  home  for  dinner,  ordered 
the  execution  to  proceed. 

When  the  reprieve  arrived,  only  a  few 
moments  after  the  spirit  of  the  young  woman 
had    taken    flight,    the    indignation    of    the 

303 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

crowd  was  so  great  that  they  gathered  that 
evening  around  Sheriff  Packer's  house,  and 
erected  an  efEgy  bearing  this  inscription: 

"  Am  I  to  lose  my  dinner 
This  woman  for  to  hang  ? 
Come  draw  away  the  cart,  my  boys  — 
Don't  stop  to  say  amen 
ORAW  away,  draw  away  the  CART!" 

Subsequently  it  was  learned  that  Ruth  Blay's 
child  had  been  still-born  and  that  she  was 
by  no  means  a  murderess. 

The  transition  of  the  Packer  house  into 
"  Colonel  Brewster's  Ta'an  "  as  Washington 
called  the  place  in  his  Diary,  is  interesting. 
Mrs.  Packer  had  a  mania  for  building  ex- 
tensions to  her  residence,  and  whenever  her 
husband  was  absent  on  his  duties  of  office 
she  improved  the  opportunity  to  add  a  room 
or  two.  The  house  was  thus  enlarged  until 
it  had  the  proportions  of  an  inn,  and  Colo- 
nel Brewster  was  glad  to  take  it  over  as  such 
in  1786. 

This  was  by  no  means  the  Colonel's  first 
essay  as  a  landlord,  however,  for  he  had  long 
successfully  exercised  that  function  at  the 
Bell  Tavern,  a  house  which  had  been  built 

304 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

in  1743  by  Paul  March  and  which  displayed 
from  a  post  in  front  an  attractive  bell, 
painted  blue.  Here  the  patriots  were  wont 
to  congregate  while  the  Tories  were  making 
merry  at  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  drinking  as 
long  if  not  so  deeply  as  their  red-coated 
rivals.  During  the  period  of  Col.  Brew- 
ster's incumbency  of  the  Bell  Tavern,  the 
Marquis  de  Chastellux  was  here  entertained 
and  in  the  published  account  of  his  travels 
he  speaks  of  Mr.  Brewster  as  "  a  very  re- 
spectable man,  and  much  attached  to  his 
country." 

After  Colonel  Brewster  had  transferred 
his  interest  to  the  Packer  house  Jacob  Tilton 
became  the  host  at  the  Bell.  Tilton  seems 
to  have  been  chiefly  known  as  the  father  of 
Johnny  Tilton,  a  town  idiot  of  whom  Mr. 
Charles  W.  Brewster  speaks  with  regretful 
tenderness  in  his  delightful  book,  "  Rambles 
About  Portsmouth."  Johnny,  it  seems,  had 
not  always  been  an  idiot;  his  defect  of 
mind  was  the  result  of  a  fall  occasioned  by 
a  childish  attempt  to  fly.  He  had  been 
watching  the  hens  flutter  out  of  the  loft  win- 
dow in  his  father's  stable,  and  supposing  he 
could  do  the  same  he  stood  upon  the  window 
frame  and,  flourishing  his  arms  in  imitation 

305 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

of  the  hens'  wings,  fell  to  the  ground,  per- 
manently injuring  his  brain.  Yet  his  an- 
swers, like  Hamlet's,  had  "  a  happiness  that 
often  madness  hits  on,  which  reason  and 
sanity  could  not  so  prosperously  be  deliv- 
ered of,"  as  when,  appearing  one  day  at  the 
mill  with  a  sack  of  corn  to  be  ground,  he 
replied  to  the  miller's  query  what  he  knew, 
"  Some  things  I  know,  and  some  things  I 
don't  know.  I  know  the  miller's  hogs  grow 
fat  but  I  don't  know  whose  corn  they  fat  on." 

After  a  long  and  varied  career  the  Bell 
Tavern  was  swept  away  by  fire  in  1867. 

One  of  the  landlords  at  the  Bell  had  been 
a  Mr.  Purcell  whose  widow  afterwards  kept 
the  Portsmouth  boarding-house  with  which 
the  career  of  John  Paul  Jones  is  bound  up. 
On  June  23,  1779  it  was  resolved  in  Con- 
gress "  that  Robert  Morris  should  be  au- 
thorized to  take  measures  for  speedily 
launching  and  equipping  for  sea  the  Amer- 
ica, then  on  the  stocks  at  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.;"  on  the  26th  John  Paul  Jones  was 
unanimously  selected  to  command  her. 
Jones  at  once  proceeded  to  Portsmouth, 
but  found  the  America  only  half  built  in- 
stead of  almost  ready  to  be  launched.  He 
was  under  the  necessity,  therefore,  of  settling 

306 


^•K„ 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

down  for  quite  a  stay,  pending  the  comple- 
tion of  his  vessel,  and  the  house  in  which 
he  took  up  his  quarters  is  the  one  on  Middle 
street  now  known  as  the  Lord  house. 

There  were  great  doings  in  this  house  and 
out  of  it  while  the  son  of  a  Scotch  gardener 
superintended  the  construction  of  his  ship. 
Some  hint  of  his  social  activities  at  this  time 
may  be  gained  from  "  The  Tory  Lover " 
of  Sarah  Orne  Jewett;  two  years  before  he 
had  been  the  hero  of  that  historic  quilting- 
party  during  which  Miss  Mary  Langdon 
and  her  friends  made  from  pieces  of  their 
best  silk  gowns  the  "  first  edition "  of  the 
stars  and  stripes  that  Europe  ever  saw,  and 
the  first  to  be  saluted  by  the  guns  of  a  Eu- 
ropean naval  power.  This  very  flag,  indeed, 
it  was  which  served  as  the  winding  sheet 
for  the  sixty  brave  men  who  gave  their  lives 
that  the  Bonhomme  Richard  should  conquer 
the  Serapis! 

When  the  birth  of  the  Dauphin  of  France 
was  officially  communicated  to  Congress  in 
the  summer  of  1782,  Jones  testified  to  the 
"  pleasure  and  gratitude  which  he  really 
felt "  by  a  grand  fete.  At  his  private  ex- 
pense he  had  artillery  mounted  on  the  Amer- 
ica, and  amid  the  flags  of  different  nations, 

307 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

—  with  that  of  France  in  front,  —  fired  sa- 
lutes throughout  the  evening  interspersing 
these  festive  sounds  with  a  brilliant  display 
of  fire-works  which  Portsmouth  folk  crowded 
the  river-banks  to  witness.  More  romances 
than  could  be  told  in  many  books  the  size 
of  this  one  doubtless  had  Jones  for  their  hero 
during  these  two  visits  to  Portsmouth,  for 
neither  man  nor  woman  could  resist  the 
wonderful  personal  magnetism  of  the  little 
admiral.  Even  so  perfectly  balanced  and 
unemotional  a  character  as  Dr.  Franklin 
once  said  of  him  in  a  letter  to  an  eminent 
woman :  "  No  matter  what  the  faults  of 
Commodore  Jones  may  be,  I  must  confess 
to  your  ladyship  that,  when  face  to  face  with 
him,  neither  man,  nor,  so  far  as  I  can  learn 
woman,  can  for  a  moment  resist  the  strange 
magnetism  of  his  presence,  the  indescribable 
charm  of  his  manner,  a  commingling  of  the 
most  compliant  deference  with  the  most  per- 
fect self-esteem  that  I  have  ever  seen  in  a 
man ;  and  above  all  the  sweetness  of  his  voice 
and  the  purity  of  his  language.  I  offer  these 
thoughts  to  the  gracious  consideration  of 
your  ladyship  no  less  as  a  warning  than  as 
a  favourable  introduction." 
No  Portsmouth  girl  captivated  the  heart 

308 


Portsmouth  Publicans  and  Guests 

of  this  charmer,  however,  for  he  seems  al- 
ways to  have  kept  clearly  in  mind  his  duty 
to  Aimee  de  Telison  (natural  daughter  of 
Louis  XV)  while  worshipping  with  the  pur- 
est adoration  the  Duchess  of  Chartres,  wife 
of  Louis  Philippe  Joseph,  known  as  the 
"  sailor  prince."  Jones'  friendship  with  this 
sweet  and  lovely  woman  had  developed  dur- 
ing the  two  months  that  the  Ranger  lay  in 
Brest  harbour.  Once,  at  a  luncheon  she 
gave  for  him,  his  perfect  command  of  sea- 
craft  so  delighted  her  that  she  sent  an  attend- 
ant to  bring  from  her  jewel  case  a  Louis  XV 
watch  of  rare  design  and  great  value  which 
her  grandfather,  the  Count  de  Toulouse  (son 
of  Louis  XIV  by  Madame  de  Montespan), 
had  worn  when  commanding  the  French 
fleet  in  the  great  battle  with  the  English  and 
Dutch  off  Malaga.  This  mark  of  favour 
almost  overwhelmed  Jones,  but  he  rallied 
to  accept  it  with  the  graceful  words :  "  If 
fortune  should  favour  me  at  sea,  I  will  some 
day  lay  an  English  frigate  at  your  royal 
highness'  feet." 

Fortune  did  favour  the  gallant  soldier  and 
he  was  soon  able  to  fulfil  almost  literally 
his  promise  by  presenting  to  the  Duchess  of 
Chartres  the  sword  of  the  Serapis'  captain. 

309 


Among  Old  New  England  Inn^ 

And  when  he  died,  alone  in  his  French 
apartments  at  the  early  age  of  forty-five,  the 
pretty  token  with  this  lady's  miniature  on 
its  dial  was  found  clasped  in  one  hand.  All 
through  his  career,  punctuated  as  it  was  by 
more  or  less  serious  friendships  with  women 
on  two  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  he  had  evi- 
dently worshipped  with  a  holy  love  this  most 
pure  and  adorable  of  duchesses. 


310 


CHAPTER   XV 

ON  THE  ROAD 

After  Levi  Pease  had  proved  that  money 
was  to  be  made  by  conducting  stage  lines, 
a  good  many  people  went  into  the  business, 
and  taverns  prospered  proportionately.  As 
we  have  already  seen,  however,  riding  in 
the  early  conveyances  was  not  an  unmiti- 
gated joy,  for,  even  after  the  roads  improved, 
the  vehicles  were  for  a  long  time  crude  in 
the  extreme.  Thomas  Twining,  a  young 
Englishman  who  visited  the  United  States 
in  1795,  has  left  us  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
kind  of  ''  stage-waggon  "  in  which  he  trav- 
elled. It  was  '^  a  long  car  with  four  benches. 
Three  of  these  in  the  interior  held  nine  pas- 
sengers. A  tenth  passenger  was  seated  by 
the  side  of  the  driver  on  the  front  bench.  A 
light  roof  was  supported  by  eight  slender 
pillars,  four  on  each  side.  Three  large 
leather  curtains  suspended  to  the  roof,  one 
at   each    side    and    the    third    behind,   were 

311 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

rolled  up  or  lowered  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
passengers.  There  was  no  place  nor  space 
for  luggage,  each  person  being  expected  to 
stow  his  things  as  he  could  under  his  seat 
or  legs.  The  entrance  was  in  front  over  the 
driver's  bench.  Of  course  the  three  passen- 
gers on  the  back  seat  were  obliged  to  crawl 
across  all  the  other  benches  to  get  to  their 
places.  There  were  no  backs  to  the  benches 
to  support  and  relieve  us  during  a  rough  and 
fatiguing  journey  over  a  newly  and  ill-made 
road." 

Not  until  twenty  years  later,  when  the 
Concord  coach,  —  so-called  because  it  was 
first  built  in  Concord,  New  Hampshire, — 
came  into  use,  was  there  anything  like  com- 
fort to  be  had  while  on  the  road.  One  of 
these  original  coaches  which  has  seen  years 
of  service  in  old  tavern  days  is  herewith 
reproduced,  loaded  with  a  group  of  merry 
young  people  costumed  to  celebrate  an  Old 
Home  Day  in  Hopkinton,  New  Hampshire. 

The  condition  of  early  eighteenth  century 
roads  and  the  structure  of  the  primitive  stage 
being  taken  into  consideration,  it  seems  as 
if  the  time  made  by  the  drivers  was  often 
surprisingly  good.  When  Israel  Hatch  put 
on  daily  stages  from  Boston  to  Providence 

312 


OLD  CONCORD  COACH 


WADSWORTH  INN,  HARTFORD 


On  the  Road 

about  1793  he  covered  the  distance  between 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  two  in  the 
afternoon,  changing  horses  once  at  the  half- 
way house  in  Walpole.  And  every  rival  did 
the  thing  a  little  better  than  those  who  pre- 
ceded him.  Hatch's  line  had  been  running 
only  ten  years,  when  the  Columbian  Genii- 
nal  and  Massachusetts  Federalist  advertised 
as  follows: 

"PROVIDENCE    STAGE 

"  A  New  line  of  Stages  will  commence 
running  on  Monday,  the  2d  day  of  January 
next,  and  will  start  from  the  Bunch  of 
Grapes  Tavern,  State  Street,  in  Boston,  every 
morning,  precisely  at  8  o'clock,  and  arrive 
at  Providence  the  same  afternoon;  and  also 
will  start  from  Barker's  Tavern,  in  Provi- 
dence (formerly  Thomas  Seahen's),  head  of 
Packet-Wharf,  and  arrive  at  Boston  the 
same  afternoon. 

"  The  Proprietors  of  these  Stages  have 
been  particularly  attentive  to  the  neatness, 
elegance  and  convenience  of  their  Carriages, 
the  goodness  and  strength  of  their  horses,  the 
carefulness    and    civility    of    their    Drivers; 


313 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

and  have,  and  will  use  exertion  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  their  Passengers. 

^'  The  Proprietors  take  this  method  to  in- 
form the  public,  to  prevent  impositions,  that 
they  are  not  accountable  for  any  baggage 
unless  receipted  for  from  this  date. 

"Asa  Foot. 

"Abel  Wheelock. 

"  Isaac  Trask. 

"Gragg  &   Easte. 

"N.  B.  — The  Stage  Books  will  be  kept 
at  the  Bunch  of  Grapes  Tavern,  and  at  Asa 
Foot's  Tavern  (formerly  kept  by  Mr. 
Forbes),  Brattle-Square,  and  at  Mr.  J. 
Wheelock's  Marlborough-Street  No.  37, 
sign  of  the  Indian  Queen,  in  Boston;  and 
at  Barker's  Tavern,  in  Providence  (formerly 
Thomas  Seahen's),  head  of  Packet- Wharf. 

"  Extra  Carriages,  of  all  kinds,  may  be 
had  at  either  of  the  Stables  of  the  above 
Subscribers,  at  the  shortest  notice. 

"  Also,  Intelligence  carried  by  express. 

"  Boston,  Dec.  30,  1803." 

By  1 83 1  the  famous  Telegraph  Line  from 
Boston  to  Albany  was  binding  its  drivers  by 
contract  to  make  seven  miles  an  hour  on  the 

314 


On  the  Road 

average,  including  stops!  This  was  in  the 
high  tide  of  our  staging  days,  however,  and 
the  reign  of  the  railroad  was  then  not  far 
off.  To  accommodate  the  most  aristocratic 
of  the  Albany  passengers  the  famous  Wads- 
worth  Inn,  Hartford,  which  still  survives,  — 
tap-room  and  all,  —  was  built. 

The  development  of  stage  travel  may  be 
interestingly  traced  by  comparing  the  "  time- 
tables ''  published  in  the  almanacs  of  the 
day.  In  the  first  year  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury the  Old  Farmer  gave  a  list  made  up 
of  twenty-five  different  entries  and  telling 
with  exactness  the  conditions  of  travel  be- 
tween Boston  and  Albany,  Providence,  New 
York,  Leominster,  Portsmouth,  Amherst, 
Plymouth,  Salem,  Marblehead,  Taunton, 
New  Bedford,  Dorchester,  Milton,  Cape 
Ann,  Medford,  Newburyport,  Haverhill, 
Groton,  Cambridge,  Roxbury,  Brookline, 
Watertown,  Dedham,  Quincy  and  Canton. 
This  modest  list  covers  all  the  lines  running 
out  of  Boston  in  1801.  By  1819,  however, 
business  had  so  increased  that  the  following 
from  the  ^^  List  of  Stages  that  start  from 
Tavern  in  Boston "  published  in  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Register  of  that  year  represents 
only  a  few  of  the  lines  quoted. 

315 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"  Albany  mail  by  Northampton  from 
Earl's,  Hanover  street,  Monday,  Wednesday 
and  Friday  at  2  A.  M.  By  Springfield  from 
Earl's,  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday  at 
2  A.  M. 

"  Albany  accommodation  by  Framingham 
and  Northampton  from  Boyden's,  Brom- 
field's  lane,  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday 
at  I  A.  M. 

"  Burlington  (Walpole,  Burlington,  Wind- 
sor, Hanover  and  Montreal  Mail)  from 
Boyden's,  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday 
at  2  A.  M. 

"  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  Hanover  over  Lon- 
donderry turnpike  from  Barnard's,  Elm 
street,  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday  at 
5  A.  M. 

"  Duxbury  every  Monday,  Wednesday 
and  Friday  3.30  A.  M.  and  evening,  Tuesday, 
Thursday  and  Saturday  at  5  A.  M.  from 
Davenport's. 

"  Framingham,  from  Patterson's  Wednes- 
day and  Saturday  at  2  P.  M. 

"  Gloucester,  from  Miller's  Elm  street, 
every  day  at  1 1  A.  M. 

"  Haverhill,  from  Wild's,  Tuesday,  Thurs- 
day and  Saturday  at  10  A.  M. 

"  Newport  and  New  Bedford  from  Boy- 
316 


On  the  Road 

den's  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday  at 
4  A.M. 

"  New  York  commercial  mail  by  Worces- 
ter, Stafford  and  Hartford  from  Earl's  daily 
at  I  A.  M. 

"  New  York  middle  line  from  EarPs,  in 
summer  to  Norwich,  Conn.,  Tuesday,  Thurs- 
day, Saturday  and  Sunday,  5  A.  M.  In  win- 
ter on  middle  road  to  Hartford  Monday, 
Wednesday  and  Friday  at  5  A.  M. 

"  Providence  mail  from  Davenport's  every 
day  except  Sunday  at  9  A.  M. 

"  Salem  from  Davenport's  daily  except 
Sunday  at  9  A.  M.  and  4  P.  M. 

"  Lunenburg  and  Groton  from  Boyden's 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  at  8  A.  M.,  and  Sat- 
urday at  4  A.  M. 

"  Plymouth  and  Sandwich  to  Falmouth 
from  Davenport's  Tuesday,  Thursday  and 
Saturday  at  5  A.  M." 

From  Badger  &  Porter's  Stage  Register, 
1836,  I  note  the  following: 

"  Boston  and  Albany  mail  stage  via  North- 
ampton leaves  7  Elm  street,  Boston,  Monday, 
Wednesday  and  Friday  at  2  A.  M.    Distance 


317 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

to  Albany  165  miles.  Fare  from  Boston  to 
Northampton  $4.50,  to  Albany  $8.75. 

"  Boston  and  Montreal  L.  C.  stage,  new 
line,  via  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  leaves  Boston 
every  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday 
mornings. 

"  Boston,  Concord,  Hanover,  Burlington, 
Montreal  and  Quebec  mail  stage,  leaves 
Wilde's,  No.  11  Elm  street,  Boston,  every 
morning  except  Sunday  at  seven  o'clock. 

"  Boston  and  Worcester  accommodation 
stage  leaves  7  Elm  street,  Boston,  Monday, 
Wednesday  and  Friday  at  10  A.  M.  and  ar- 
rives in  Worcester  at  4  P.  M.  Distance  42 
miles.    Fare  $2.  i   \  -' 

"  Boston  and  Providence  mail  coaches, 
leave  Marlboro  Hotel,  Boston,  every  morn- 
ing, Sundays  excepted,  at  5  A.  M.  to  meet 
the  steamers  for  New  York,  and  leave  Prov- 
idence every  morning  at  7  A.  M.,  and  arrive 
in  Boston  at  i  P.  M.  Also  the  steamboat 
mail  coach  leaves  Providence  on  the  arrival 
of  the  boats  from  New  York.  An  accom- 
modation coach  leaves  as  above  daily  at  11 
A.  M.  for  Providence.     Fare  $2. 

"  Boston,  Haverhill  and  Concord,  N.  H. 
Mail  stage  leaves  No.  11  Elm  street,  Bos- 
ton,  Tuesday,   Thursday   and    Saturday,    at 

318 


071  the  Road 

7  A.  M.,  and  arrives  in  Concord  at  6  P.  M. 
Distance  sixty-eight  miles.    Fare  $3. 

"  Boston  and  Keene,  N.  H.  North  Star 
line  via  Lowell  leaves  Nos.  7  and  9  Elm 
street,  Boston,  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Sat- 
urday at  5  A.  M.,  and  arrives  in  Keene  same 
evening. 

"  Boston  Forrest  Line  stages  for  Saratoga, 
Albany,  Troy  and  Lake  George,  leave  stage 
office.  No.  9  Elm  street,  Boston,  Monday, 
Wednesday  and  Friday,  at  2  P.  M.,  via  Low- 
ell, Nashua  and  Charlestown. 

"  Boston  and  New  Bedford  mail  stage  via 
Taunton  leaves  Marlboro  Hotel,  Boston, 
Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday,  at  7  A.  M. 
Arrives  at  Taunton  at  i  P.  M.,  and  in  New 
Bedford  the  same  evening.     Fare  $3. 

"  Boston,  Plymouth,  Sandwich,  Falmouth 
and  Barnstable,  mail  stage,  leave  Stone's 
City  Tavern,  Boston,  every  morning  except 
Sunday,  at  4  A.  M.,  and  arrives  in  Falmouth 
and  Barnstable  same  evening  connecting 
with  the  boat  for  Nantucket. 

"  Boston,  Fitchburg,  Fitzwilliam  and 
Brattleboro,  Vt.,  mail  stage  leaves  Wilde's, 
No.  II  Elm  street,  Boston,  every  day,  at 
5  A.  M.     Fare  $3.75. 

"  Boston,    Portsmouth,   N.  H.,    and    Port- 

319 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

land,  Me.,  accommodation  stage,  leaves  East- 
ern Stage  House,  84  Ann  street,  Boston, 
every  morning,  except  Sundays,  at  8,  and 
arrives  in  Portland,  at  5  P.  M.  Distance  to 
Newburyport,  38  miles,  fare  $2;  to  Ports- 
mouth, 60  miles,  fare  $3;  to  Portland,  no 
miles,  $6. 

''  Boston,  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  Burlington, 
Vt.,  Mail  Pilot  Line,  leaves  the  stage  office, 
No.  9  Elm  street,  Boston,  every  day  for 
Burlington.     Distance  210  miles. 

^^  Beverly  and  Boston  stage  leaves  Stone's 
City  Tavern,  Boston,  every  day,  except  Sun- 
day, at  4  P.  M.,  and  arrives  in  Beverly  at  6. 
Distance  16  miles.    Fare  $1. 

"  Gloucester  and  Boston,  mail  stage,  leaves 
City  Tavern,  Brattle  street,  Boston,  every 
day,  except  Sunday,  at  1 1  A.  M.,  and  arrives 
in  Gloucester  at  4  P.  M.  Fare  from  Boston 
to  Lynn  62I  cents;  to  Salem,  $1;  to  Man- 
chester, $1.50;  to  Gloucester,  $1.75;  to 
Sandy  Bay,  $2. 

"  Newton  Upper  Falls  and  Brighton  stage, 
leaves  Wilde's,  No.  11  Elm  street,  Boston, 
every  day  at  4  P.  M.,  for  Newton  Upper 
Falls;  and  Tuesday  and  Saturday  continues 
through  to  Dover  and  Taunton. 


320 


On  the  Road 
'^  Omnibuses  and  Coaches 

"  Charlestown  and  Boston  hourly  coaches. 
A  coach  leaves  Simond's  Hotel  (late  Jack- 
man's),  Charlestown,  at  7  A.M.,  and  5  Brat- 
tle street,  Boston,  at  9  A.  M.,  and  continues 
to  leave  each  place  every  hour  until  8  P.  M. 
every  day  except  Sunday.  The  coach  stops 
at  each  of  the  intermediate  hotels  in  Charles- 
town. A  room  is  provided  at  each  of  the 
public  houses  for  the  convenience  of  pas- 
sengers. 

"  New  line  of  half-hourly  coaches  between 
Cambridgeport  and  Boston  leave  as  follows, 
viz.:  Half-past  7  A.M.,  and  continue  to 
leave  each  office  every  half-hour  through  the 
day,  until  8  P.  M.  Passengers  taken  and  left 
at  any  place  in  Cambridge,  Cambridgeport 
and  Boston.  Office  in  Boston  at  51  Brattle 
street.  Fare  to  Cambridge  25  cents.  Cam- 
bridgeport 12J  cents. 

"  Roxbury  and  Boston  hourly  omnibuses 
(old  line)  leave  Roxbury  Hill  every  morn- 
ing except  Sunday  at  7  Norfolk  ave.,  Wash- 
ington St.,  Boston,  at  7,  and  continue  to  leave 
each  place  every  half-hour  through  the  day 
until  8  P.  M.  from  Roxbury  and  8.30  from 
Boston.    Fare  12^  cents. 

321 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

"Jamaica  Plains.  The  old  line  runs  an 
omnibus  to  Jamaica  Plains,  leaving  Norfolk 
avenue  and  Washington  street  at  lo  A.  M., 
4  and  6  P.  M.     Fare  25  cents. 

"  East  Boston.  An  omnibus  called  the 
*  Maverick '  and  connected  w^ith  the  ferry- 
boat is  in  constant  requisition  for  passengers 
going  to  or  coming  from  East  Boston." 

Later  on  in  the  forties  two  fine  omni- 
buses called  the  "  Governor  Dudley "  and 
"  General  Washington "  were  run  between 
Boston  and  Grove  Hall.  They  were  long 
and  had  very  high  wheels  and  a  steep  flight 
of  steps  in  the  rear,  with  iron  railings  on 
each  side.  The  guard  stood  on  the  steps 
and  collected  the  fares,  while  the  driver  held 
the  reins  over  four  and  sometimes  six  horses. 
These  omnibuses  were  highly  decorated  and 
were  embellished  with  portraits  of  their 
namesakes  painted  on  each  side. 

The  Dock  square  and  Canton  street  line 
was  soon  after  established  by  Hobbs  &  Pres- 
cott,  who  afterwards  sold  out  to  J.  H.  Ha- 
thorne,  who  in  turn  sold  out  to  the  West 
End  Road  at  the  time  of  the  consolidation. 
Hobbs  &  Prescott  also  had  a  line  running  to 
the  Norfolk  House. 

322 


On  the  Road 

Some  of  us  who  are  still  in  the  early  thir- 
ties remember  well  these  old  Hathorne 
coaches,  lumbering  yellow  things  which 
plied  between  Salem  street,  Charlestown, 
and  Northampton  street,  Boston,  and  never 
ran  on  Sundays  because  Mrs.  Hathorne 
wished  the  horses  to  have  one  day  in  seven 
for  rest.  Groton,  which  is  several  times 
mentioned  in  these  lists,  was  a  famous  coach- 
ing centre. 

The  earliest  line  of  stage  coaches  between 
Boston  and  Groton  thus  advertised  itself  in 
the  Columbian   Centinai  of  April  6,   1793. 

"NEW   LINE   OF   STAGES 

"  A  Stage-Carriage  drives  from  Robbins' 
tavern  at  Charles  River  Bridge  on  Monday 
and  Friday  in  each  week,  and  passing 
through  Concord  and  Groton,  arrives  at 
Wyman's  tavern  in  Ashley  in  the  evening 
of  the  same  days;  and  after  exchanging  pas- 
sengers there  with  the  Stage-Carriage  from 
Walpole  it  returns  on  Tuesdays  and  Satur- 
days, by  the  same  route  to  Robbins's.  .  .  . 
The  Charlestown  Carriage  drives  also  from 
Robbins'  on  Wednesday  in  each  week,  and 
passing  through  Concord  arrives  at  Richard- 

323 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

son's  tavern  in  Groton,  on  the  evening  of 
the  same  day,  and  from  thence  returns  on 
Thursday  to  Robbins.  .  .  .  Another  Car- 
riage drives  from  Richardson's  tavern  in 
Groton,  on  Monday  in  each  week,  at  six 
in  the  morning,  and  passing  by  Richardson's 
tavern  in  Concord,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, arrives  at  Charlestown  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  .  .  ." 

Very  likely  it  was  from  one  of  these  "  Car- 
riages "  that  the  hero  of  the  following 
graphic  little  sketch  descended:  ''At  early 
dusk  on  some  October  or  November  evening, 
in  the  year  1794,  a  fresh,  vigorous,  bright- 
eyed  lad,  just  turned  of  fifteen,  might  have 
been  seen  alighting  from  a  stage-coach  near 
Quaker  Lane  [now  Congress  St.]  as  it  was 
then  called  in  the  old  town  of  Boston.  He 
had  been  two  days  on  the  road  from  his 
home  in  the  town  of  New  Ipswich,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire.  On  the  last  of 
the  two  days  the  stage-coach  had  brought 
him  all  the  way  from  Groton  in  Massachu- 
setts; starting  for  that  purpose  early  in  the 
morning,  stopping  at  Concord  for  the  pas- 
sengers to  dine,  trundling  them  through 
Charlestown  about  the  time  the  evening 
lamps  were  lighted,  and  finishing  the  whole 

324 


On  the  Road 

distance  of  rather  more  than  thirty  miles  in 
season  for  supper.  For  his  first  day's  jour- 
ney there  had  been  no  such  eligible  and  ex- 
peditious conveyance.  The  Boston  stage- 
coach, in  those  days,  went  no  farther  than 
Groton  in  that  direction."  ^ 

The  first  public  conveyance  between  Bos- 
ton and  Groton  was  a  covered  wagon  hung 
on  chains  for  thoroughbraces.  The  trans- 
portation price  was  two  dollars  for  each 
passenger.  By  1807  there  was  a  tri-weekly 
line  of  coaches  to  Boston  and  as  early  as 
1820  a  daily  line,  which  connnected  at  Gro- 
ton with  others  extending  into  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Vermont.  Not  long  after  this 
there  were  two  lines  to  Boston  running  in 
competition.  One  of  these,  the  Telegraph 
and  Despatch  line  had  a  driver  named  Phin- 
eas  Harrington,  familiarly  called  "  Phin " 
by  the  tavern-keepers  and  by  his  passengers 
of  whom  he  never  took  more  than  eight. 
"  Phin  "  was  a  very  little  man  and  it  was 
said  of  him  that  on  cold  and  stormy  nights 
he  used  to  get  inside  one  of  the  lamps  fixed 
to  the  box  in  order  to  use  the  lighted  wick 
as  a  foot-warmer! 

[  *  Memoir  of  Hon.  Nathan  Appleton  in  the  Proceedings  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society  v.  249,  250."  ] 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Besides  the  stagecoaches  the  carrier  wag- 
ons added  greatly  to  the  business  of  Groton 
and  helped  largely  to  support  the  taverns. 
For,  in  those  days,  the  town  was  on  one  of 
the  main  thoroughfares  leading  from  Boston 
to  Canada  via  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
mont. Often  as  many  as  forty  huge  wagons 
drawn  by  four  or  six  horses  each  would  pass 
through  the  village  in  a  single  day,  laden 
on  the  down-trip  with  country  produce  and, 
on  the  return,  with  the  hundred  and  one 
articles  found  in  the  village  stores  of  the 
northern  states. 

The  list  of  those  who  have  been  tavern- 
keepers  at  Groton  is  a  very  long  one.  In 
the  early  days  no  great  preparations  appear 
to  have  been  necessary  here  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  strangers,  the  result  being  that 
many  farmers  took  in  casual  travellers  whom 
they  treated  quite  as  members  of  the  family. 
By  1752,  however,  Groton  had  so  developed 
as  a  stopping-place  that  Caleb  Trowbridge, 
Jr.  declared  that  he  "  lives  upon  a  publick 
Road  leading  from  Dunstable  to  Harvard, 
which  is  frequented  by  many  Travellers; 
that  the  publick  Houses  on  said  road  are 
fifteen  Miles  distant  from  each  other;"  that 
he  "  has  only  Liberty  to  Retail,  yet  is  often 

326 


On  the  Road 

crowded  with  people  who  want  necessary 
Refreshment,  but  is  not  allowed  to  sell  it  to 
them;  he  therefore  prays  he  may  now  ob- 
tain a  Licence  as  an  Innholder."  His  prayer 
was  graciously  granted. 

Isaiah  Thomas's  Almanack  for  1785  prints 
a  list  of  Groton  innholders  for  that  year, 
and  among  them  appears  the  name  of  Cap- 
tain Jephthah  Richardson,  who  for  many 
years  kept  a  tavern  on  the  site  of  what  is  now 
the  Baptist  Church.  During  the  war  of 
181 2,  this  house  was  locally  famous  as  a 
recruiting  station.  It  was  also  well  known 
to  wayfarers  as  an  important  staging  centre. 

Groton  is  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  to-day 
a  well-preserved  Revolutionary  tavern,  in 
which  guests  are  still  entertained.  Orig- 
inally a  dwelling-house  and  occupied  before 
our  struggle  with  England  by  Rev.  Samuel 
Dana,  —  who  had  the  hardihood  to  preach  a 
warm  defence  of  George  III  and  his  meth- 
ods to  a  congregation  notably  patriotic  in 
their  sentiments  and  so  to  earn  his  dismissal 
from  church  and  town,  —  it  was  kept  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  war  by  Captain  Jona- 
than Keep.  CaDt.  Keen  was  succeeded  by 
his  brothers,  Isaiah  and  Joseph,  who  were 
landlords  as  early  as  1798.    In  1825,  Joseph 

327 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Hoar,  who  had  just  sold  the  Emerson  Tav- 
ern at  the  other  end  of  the  village  street, 
became  the  incumbent.  Excepting  the  year 
1836,  when  Moses  Gill  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  Henry  Lewis  Lawrence,  were  the  land- 
lords, Mr.  Hoar  continued  in  charge  until 
the  spring  of  1843  when  he  sold  out  to 
Thomas  Treadwell  Farnsworth.  At  this 
period  the  house  was  a  temperance  one. 
Daniel  Hunt,  James  Minot  Colburn  and 
Joseph  Nelson  Hoar  (a  son  of  the  former 
landlord)  have  since  been  proprietors  here. 
For  a  time  in  recent  years  the  place  was 
managed  by  three  daughters  of  Mr.  Hoar 
under  the  name  of  Central  House,  but  its 
present  owner  is  Charles  H.  Dodge  and  its 
present  title  the  Groton  Inn. 

Twining's  description  of  stagecoach  travel 
having  been  quoted,  some  pages  back,  it 
seems  only  fair  to  give  one  or  two  other 
persons'  views  on  this  interesting  subject. 
John  Mellish,  who  travelled  in  1806  did  not 
seem  to  find  it  bad: 

^'  Having  taken  my  leave  of  a  number  of 
kind  friends  with  whom  I  had  associated 
during  my  stay  in  Boston,  I  engaged  a  pas- 
sage by  the  mail  stage  for  New  York,  and 
was  called  to  take  my  place  on  the  4th  of 

328 


^^^ 

On  the  Road 

September  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
It  is  the  practice  here  for  the  driver  to  call 
on  the  passengers  before  setting  out,  and  it 
is  attended  with  a  considerable  degree  of 
convenience  to  them,  particularly  when  they 
set  out  early  in  the  morning.  The  mail  stages 
here  are  altogether  different  in  construc- 
tion from  the  mail  coaches  in  Britain.  They 
are  long  machines  hung  upon  leather  braces 
with  three  seats  across,  of  a  sufficient  length 
to  accommodate  three  persons  each,  who  all 
sit  with  their  faces  towards  the  horses.  The 
driver  sits  under  cover  without  any  division 
between  him  and  the  passengers;  and  there 
is  room  for  a  person  to  sit  on  each  side  of 
him.  The  driver,  by  the  post-office  regula- 
tions, must  be  a  white  man,  and  he  has 
charge  of  the  mail  which  is  placed  in  a  box 
below  his  seat.  There  is  no  guard.  The 
passengers'  luggage  is  put  below  the  seats, 
or  tied  on  behind  the  stage.  They  put  noth- 
ing on  the  top  and  they  take  no  outside  pas- 
sengers. The  stages  are  slightly  built  and 
the  roof  suspended  on  pillars;  with  a  cur- 
tain to  be  let  down  or  folded  up  at  pleasure. 
The  conveyance  is  easy  and  in  summer  very 
agreeable." 
Then    as   now,    no   doubt,    impressions   of 

329 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

travel  depended  very  much  upon  the  tem- 
perament of  the  traveller.  John  Lambert, 
who  toured  Vermont  and  lower  Canada  at 
just  about  this  same  time,  gives  a  most  mel- 
ancholy account  of  his  trip  from  Burlington 
to  St.  Albans:  "I  had  an  uncomfortable 
seat  in  the  hind  part  of  the  wagon  upon  the 
mail  bag  and  other  goods.  I  might,  indeed, 
have  sat  in  front  along  with  the  driver,  but 
my  legs  would  have  been  cramped  between 
a  large  chest  and  the  fore  part  of  the  wagon. 
Of  two  evils  I  chose  the  least:  but  I  shall 
never  forget  the  shaking,  jolting,  jumbling 
and  tossing,  which  I  experienced  over  this 
disagreeable  road,  up  and  down  steep  hills, 
which  obliged  me  to  alight,  (for  we  had  only 
two  poor  jaded  horses  to  drag  us)  and  fag 
through  the  sand  and  dust  exposed  to  a  burn- 
ing sun.  When  we  got  into  our  delectable 
vehicle  again,  our  situation  was  just  as  bad; 
for  the  road  in  many  parts  was  continually 
obstructed  by  large  stone;  stumps  of  trees, 
and  fallen  timber;  deep  ruts  and  holes,  over 
which,  to  use  an  American  phrase,  we  were 
*  waggonM  '  most  unmercifully."  Perhaps 
the  nature  of  the  country,  as  well  as  tem- 
perament, had,  after  all,  something  to  do 
witfi  these  differing  accounts. 

330 


^^II'^^^^H 

1'   a^^^l 

T 

On  the  Road 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  whether 
Lambert  rested  his  weary  bones,  on  that 
journey  to  Canada,  at  the  Eagle  Tavern, 
East  Poultney,  Vermont.  It  was  there  in 
his  time  as  it  is  to-day,  right  across  the  road 
from  the  village  green  and  exceedingly  hos- 
pitable in  aspect,  though  it  now  takes  in  only 
an  occasional  guest  for  whom  provision  can- 
not elsewhere  be  found.  In  Revolutionary 
days  the  house  was  a  famous  rallying  cen- 
tre, and  it  was  here  that  Captain  William 
Watson  delivered  that  famous  toast:  "The 
enemies  of  our  country,  —  may  they  have 
cobweb  breeches,  porcupine  saddle,  a  hard 
trotting  horse  and  an  eternal  journey."  It 
was  this  doughty  captain,  too,  who,  upon 
the  death  of  his  good  dog,  Comus,  placed 
the  remains  in  a  wooden  box  and  buried 
them  beside  the  road  back  of  the  tavern, 
erecting,  to  mark  the  spot,  a  stone  with 
this  inscription: 

"  Comus  is  dead !  Good  dog,  well  bred; 
Here  he  lies  —  enough  said.'* 

Within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  Eagle  Tavern, 
Horace  Greeley  learned  the  printing  trade 
and  very  often,  no  doubt,  he  spent  an  eve- 

331 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ning  in  its  public  room  talking  politics  to 
the  other  lads  of  the  little  town. 

And  now,  just  to  take  out  of  our  mouths 
the  taste  of  Lambert's  grumbling,  let  us  en- 
joy the  description  supplied  by  Abdy,  the 
Oxonian,  of  stage  travel  as  he  found  it  in 
the  New  England  of  1835: 

"  I  left  Northampton  on  the  i6th  at  three, 
A.  M.,  for  Boston,  and  arrived  at  that  place 
about  eight  in  the  evening.  The  road  was 
good  and  if  we  had  not  changed  our  vehicle 
three  times  during  the  journey,  and  stopped 
at  the  various  post-offices  for  the  bags,  and 
at  the  hotels  for  refreshment,  we  should  have 
got  in  much  sooner.  The  first  fifteen  miles 
were  performed  in  an  hour  and  forty  min- 
utes. The  distance  is  ninety-four  miles. 
The  passengers  were  inclined  to  be  sociable 
and  as  it  was  a  fine  day  and  the  country  not 
uninteresting,  the  journey  passed  off  pleas- 
antly enough.  An  English  coachman  would 
have  been  somewhat  amused  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  stage  and  the  costume  of  the 
driver.  The  former  was  similar  to  some  that 
are  common  enough  in  France  though  not 
known  on  our  side  of  the  channel.  It  was 
on  leathern  springs;  the  boot  and  the  hind 
part    being    appropriated    to    the    luggage, 

332 


On  the  Road 

while  the  box  was  occupied  by  two  passen- 
gers in  addition  to  the  *  conducteur '  and  as 
many  on  the  roof.  On  the  top,  secured  by 
an  iron  rail,  were  some  of  the  trunks  and 
boxes,  and  inside  were  places  for  nine;  two 
seats  being  affixed  to  the  ends,  and  one,  par- 
allel to  them  across  the  middle  of  the  car- 
riage. Our  driver  sat  between  two  of  the 
outsides,  and,  when  there  was  but  one,  on 
the  box  over  the  near  wheeler;  and  holding 
the  reins,  or  lines,  as  he  called  them,  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  separate  his  team  into 
couples,  not  a-breast,  but  in  a  line  or  tandem 
fashion,  drove  along  with  considerable  skill 
and  dexterity.  When  he  got  down,  he  fas- 
tened the  '  ribbons '  to  a  ring  or  a  post  in 
front  of  the  house  where  he  had  occasion  to 
pull  up.'' 

A  pleasant  picture  surely,  this  of  the 
genial  driver  fastening  his  ribbons  before 
the  hospitable  New  England  inn  where  his 
stage-load  of  sociably  inclined  travellers  are 
to  stop  for  their  noonday  meal.  Shall  we 
not  leave  them  at  the  door,  enveloped  in  the 
welcoming  smile  of  the  landlord,  who  in 
anticipation  of  their  coming  has  prepared 
for  them  the  choicest  viands  of  which  his 
larder  can  boast? 

333 


CHAPTER   XVI 

SOME  TAVERNS  OF  ROMANCE 

The  alluring  adjective  "  romantic "  is 
conferred  upon  taverns  for  widely  different 
reasons.  This  old  house  in  Westfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts, for  instance,  has  for  years  been 
thus  distinguished  because  it  was  supposed 
to  be  the  scene  of  an  ardent  salute  bestowed 
upon  Landlord  Fowler's  wife,  one  Revolu- 
tionary morning,  by  no  less  a  person  than 
the  British  General  Burgoyne,  who  was  then 
returning,  a  prisoner,  to  the  Continental 
camp  at  Cambridge.  But,  a  few  years  ago, 
an  enterprising  student  of  local  history  ar- 
rived at  the  conclusion  that  the  kisser  was 
not  Burgoyne  at  all,  but  the  German  Gen- 
eral Riedesel;  evidence  further  went  to 
show  that  the  kissee  was  in  all  probability 
the  landlord's  daughter  instead  of  his  wife. 
At  this  point,  however,  our  naive  lady  gave 
up  research  for  she  could  not  see  why  Riede- 
sel  should   have   kissed   any  strange   young 

334 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

woman  when  his  own  charming  wife  was 
near  at  hand!  To-day,  therefore,  the  Fowler 
Tavern  may  be  said  to  memorialize  a  KISS, 
the  parties  thereto  being  undetermined. 

Some  other  New  England  taverns  no 
longer  standing  have  more  clearly  defined 
reasons  for  reverence  at  the  hands  of  those 
who  love  romance.  The  old  Fountain  Inn 
at  Marblehead  was  the  opening  scene  of  the 
most  romantic  story  in  all  American  history. 
For  it  was  here,  as  she  was  scrubbing  the 
tavern  floor,  that  Sir  Harry  Frankland  first 
caught  sight  of  Agnes  Surriage! 

The  gallant  Sir  Harry  was  at  this  time 
(1742)  collector  of  the  port  of  Boston,  and 
he  had  come  riding  down  to  Marblehead^s 
picturesque  coast  to  transact  some  business 
connected  with  old  Fort  Sewall,  then  just 
a-building.  At  the  Fountain  Inn  he  stopped 
for  a  long  draught  of  cooling  ale.  And, 
there  before  him  in  the  tap-room,  vigorously 
wielding  the  Colonial  substitute  for  a  mop, 
was  a  beautiful  girl-child  of  sixteen,  with 
black  curling  hair,  dark  eyes  and  a  voice 
which  proved  to  be  of  exceeding  sweetness, 
as  the  maiden,  glancing  up,  shyly  gave  her 
good-day  to  the  gallant's  greeting.  The 
girPs    feet   were   bare,    and    this    so   moved 

335 


Among  Old  New  England  Inn^ 

Frankland's  compassion  that  he  gently  gave 
her  a  piece  of  gold  with  which  to  buy  shoes 
and  stockings.  And  then  he  rode  slowly 
away,  wondering  why  his  heart  was  beat- 
ing so  much  more  quickly  than  was  its 
wont. 

Shortly  afterwards  Frankland  was  again 
in  Marblehead  on  business,  and  he  was  not 
slow,  we  may  be  sure,  in  finding  his  way  to 
the  tavern  for  another  mug  of  ale  and  an- 
other sight  of  the  charming  child,  just  bud- 
ding into  womanhood,  whom  he  had  seen 
performing  with  patience  and  grace  the  du- 
ties that  fell  to  her  lot  as  the  daughter  of 
humble  fisherfolk.  He  was  surprised  to  find 
her  feet  still  bare  and  he  asked  her,  a  bit 
teasingly,  what  she  had  done  with  the  money 
he  gave  her.  Quite  frankly  she  replied, 
blushing  the  while,  that  she  had  bought  the 
shoes  and  stockings,  but  was  keeping  them 
to  wear  to  meeting.  This  reply  argued 
hitherto  unsuspected  depths  of  poverty  on 
the  part  of  Agnes's  parents,  and  Frankland 
was  not  long  in  looking  them  up;  nor  was 
he  so  long  as  one  feels  he  ought  to  have  been 
in  obtaining  from  them  permission  to  re- 
move their  daughter  to  Boston  to  be  edu- 
cated as  his  ward. 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

For  several  years,  however,  the  relation 
between  these  two  was  exactly  what  Frank- 
land  had  said  it  would  be,  and  Agnes  was  in 
close  touch  with  her  Marblehead  pastor  as 
well  as  with  her  mother.  Meanwhile,  she 
was  being  taught  reading,  writing,  grammar, 
music  and  embroidery  by  the  best  tutors 
Boston-town  could  provide  and  she  grew 
daily,  we  are  told,  in  beauty  and  maidenly 
charm. 

So  the  inevitable  end  was  helped  to  come. 
At  first,  one  is  forced  to  believe,  Frankland 
had  not  meant  to  wrong  the  child  so  trust- 
ingly given  into  his  care.  But  the  death  of 
Agnes's  father  threw  the  girl  permanently 
on  his  hands  just  at  the  very  time  when  his 
sudden  elevation  to  the  baronetcy  made  mar- 
riage to  her  appear  an  impossibility.  So 
there  came  about  a  situation  which  caused 
Agnes  to  be  dropped  by  the  ladies  who  had 
formerly  been  kind  to  her,  and  that  made 
the  baronet  decide  to  set  up  a  new  home 
in  Hopkinton,  Massachusetts,  instead  of  re- 
maining in  censorious  Boston. 

I  have  elsewhere  ^  told  the  story  of  the 
idyllic  life  led  by  these  two  at  Frankland 
Hall,  of  their  visit  in   1754  to  Frankland's 

f  See  "  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Churches."] 
337 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

home  in  England,  of  Sir  Harry's  surprise 
and  Agnes's  chagrin  at  the  coolness  of  their 
reception  there,  and  of  the  tragedy  of  the 
Lisbon  earthquake,  which  gave  the  maiden 
a  superb  opportunity  for  heroism  and  the 
man  the  very  fright  he  needed.  For,  v^hile 
pinned  down  by  a  weight  of  stone  and  suf- 
fering untold  agonies  from  the  pain  of  a 
wound  in  his  arm,  our  young  gallant  vowed 
to  amend  his  life  and  atone  to  Agnes,  if 
God  in  his  mercy  should  see  fit  to  deliver 
him.  When  the  deliverance  came  through 
the  self-forgetful  devotion  of  the  woman  he 
had  so  grievously  wronged  he  wasted  not  a 
moment,  we  may  be  sure,  in  summoning  a 
priest  to  tie  the  knot  too  long  ignored.  That 
his  spirit  had  been  effectually  chastened,  one 
reads  between  the  lines  of  this  entry  in  his 
diary,  which  may  still  be  seen  in  the  rooms 
of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  in 
Boston:  "  Hope  My  providential  escape  will 
have  a  lasting  good  efifect  upon  my  mind." 
Sir  Harry  Frankland  was  no  libertine.  All 
his  life  he  passed  in  fasting,  humiliation  and 
prayer  the  anniversary  of  that  Lisbon  earth- 
quake. 

With  the  old  Bell  Tavern  in  Danvers,  Mas- 
sachusetts,   is    connected    the    sad    death    of 

338 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

Elizabeth  Whitman,  from  whose  touching 
story  Hawthorne  is  believed  to  have  drawn 
the  inspiration  for  his  "  Scarlet  Letter.'* 
Elizabeth  Whitman  was  the  daughter  of  the 
Reverend  Elnathan  Whitman,  pastor  of  the 
Second  Church,  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and 
one  of  the  Fellows  of  the  Corporation  of 
Yale  College,  —  a  man  distinguished  for 
scholarly  traits,  the  love  of  rare  manuscripts 
and  forgotten  books,  and  whose  library  at 
the  time  of  its  destruction  in  1831  had  been 
for  years  the  envy  of  our  large  universities. 
His  daughter,  however,  cared  less  for  litera- 
ture than  for  life  and  though  engaged,  first 
to  the  Reverend  Joseph  Howe  of  Church 
Green  in  Boston,  and  after  his  death  to  the 
Reverend  Joseph  Buckminster,  whose  name 
and  memory  is  an  illuminated  page  in  the 
history  of  New  England  Congregationalism, 
died  alone  at  a  Danvers  tavern  with  no  hus- 
band at  hand  to  acknowledge  himself  the 
father  of  her  dead  child.  Though  I  shall 
not  repeat  here  this  girPs  sad  story  which 
I  have  told  in  another  place,^  I  am  glad  to 
reproduce  an  advertisement,  new  to  me, 
which  I  have  recently  found  in  the  Salem 
Mercury  of  July  29,  1788  and  which  is  in- 

[»  See  ♦'  Romance  of  Old  New  England  Roof-Trees."] 
339 


Among  Old  New  England  InH^ 

teresting  because  inserted  by  the  keeper  of 
the  Bell  Tavern  in  the  hope  of  identifying 
his  mysterious  guest: 

"  Last  Friday,  a  female  stranger  died  at 
the  Bell  Tavern,  in  Danvers;  and  on  Sun- 
day her  remains  were  decently  interred. 
The  circumstances  relative  to  this  young 
woman  are  such  as  to  excite  curiosity  and 
interest  our  feelings.  She  was  brought  to 
the  Bell  in  a  chaise  from  Watertown,  as  she 
said,  by  a  young  man  whom  she  had  engaged 
for  that  purpose.  After  she  had  alighted 
and  taken  a  trunk  with  her  into  the  house, 
the  chaise  immediately  drove  off.  She  re- 
mained at  this  inn  until  her  death,  in  expec- 
tation of  the  arrival  of  her  husband  whom 
she  expected  to  come  for  her,  and  appeared 
anxious  at  his  delay.  She  was  averse  to 
being  interrogated  concerning  herself  or  con- 
nections; and  kept  much  retired  to  her 
chamber  employed  in  writing  needle-work 
&c.  She  said,  however,  that  she  came  from 
Westfield,  in  Connecticut;  that  her  parents 
lived  in  that  State;  that  she  had  been  mar- 
ried only  a  few  months;  and  that  her  hus- 
band's name  was  Thomas  Walker;  —  but 
always  carefully  concealed  her  family  name. 
Her  linen  was  all  marked  E.  W.     About  a 

340 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

fortnight  before  her  death  she  was  brought 
to  bed  of  a  lifeless  child.  When  those  who 
attended  her  apprehended  her  fate  they  asked 
her,  whether  she  did  not  wish  to  see  her 
friends:  She  answered  that  she  was  very 
desirous  of  seeing  them.  It  was  proposed 
that  she  should  send  for  them;  to  which  she 
objected  hoping  in  a  short  time  to  be  able 
to  go  to  them.  From  what  she  said  and 
from  other  circumstances,  it  appeared  prob- 
able to  those  who  attended  her,  that  she  be- 
longed to  some  country  town  in  Connecticut: 
Her  conversation,  her  writings  and  her  man- 
ners, bespoke  the  advantage  of  a  respectable 
family  &  good  education.  Her  person  was 
agreeable;  her  deportment  amiable  &  engag- 
ing; and,  though  in  a  state  of  anxiety  and  sus- 
pense, she  preserved  a  cheerfulness,  which 
seemed  to  be,  not  the  effect  of  insensibility, 
but  of  a  firm  and  patient  temper.  She  was 
supposed  to  be  about  35  years  old.  Copies 
of  letters,  of  her  writing,  dated  at  Hart- 
ford, Springfield,  and  other  places,  were  left 
among  her  things.  —  This  account  is  given 
by  the  family  in  which  she  resided;  and  it 
is  hoped  the  publication  of  it  will  be  a  means 
of  her  friends'  ascertaining  her  fate." 

I,  personally,  believe  that  Elizabeth  Whit' 

341 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

man  was  waiting  for  her  husband  in  the  old 
Bell  Tavern.  But  diverse  points  of  view 
are  always  stimulating,  and  some  readers 
may  like  to  compare  with  my  story  of  her 
life  the  following  extract  from  the  history 
of  Danvers:  "  She  was  possessed  of  an  ar- 
dent poetical  temperament,  an  inordinate 
love  of  praise,  and  was  gifted  with  the  nat- 
ural endowment  of  beauty  and  perfect  grace, 
while  she  was  accomplished  with  those  re- 
finements which  education  can  bestow.  She 
was  lovely  beyond  words.  But  her  natural 
amiabilities  were  warped  and  perverted  by 
reading  great  numbers  of  romances,  to  the 
exclusion  of  almost  all  other  reading.  She 
formed  her  idea  of  men  by  the  exaggerated 
standards  she  saw  in  the  books  to  which  she 
resorted;  and  thus  when  she  looked  around 
her  she  saw  no  one  who  realized  her  ideal. 
She  subsequently  became  intimate  .  .  .  with 
Judge  Pierpont  Edwards."  Evidently  Mr. 
Hanson  himself  gave  too  much  weight  to 
the  statements  in  that  meretricious  volume 
"  Eliza  Wharton,"  whose  treatment  of  the 
dead  woman's  story  he  proceeds  indignantly 
to  condemn. 

Danvers  still  has  one  picturesque  old  hos- 
telry,  the   Berry  Tavern,  which   has  enter 

342 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

tained  the  public  for  over  seventy  years  and 
upon  whose  site  stood  yet  another  inn  more 
than  one  hundred  years  back  of  that.  Nearly 
opposite  the  Berry  Tavern  there  long  flour- 
ished, too,  the  house  of  Deacon  Gideon  Put- 
nam, which  was  run  by  John  Piemont  at 
the  time  John  Adams  went  to  the  Court  in 
Ipswich  before  he  was  President. 

Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  has  a  number 
of  romantic  taverns,  among  them  the  Old 
Brick  Inn  used  by  William  Dean  Howells 
in  "  The  Undiscovered  Country "  as  the 
shelter  for  his  heroine  when  she  and  her 
spiritualistic  father  have  lost  their  purse  and 
their  way. 

"  ^  We  will  stop  at  that  tavern,'  said 
Egeria." 

"  They  had  been  passing  through  a  long 
reach  of  woodland  that  stretched  away  on 
either  side  of  the  road,  when  they  came  to 
a  wide,  open  plateau,  high  and  bare.  It 
looked  old  and  like  a  place  where  there  had 
once  been  houses,  though  none  were  now  in 
sight;  from  time  to  time  in  fact  the  ruinous 
traces  of  former  habitations  showed  them- 
selves by  the  wayside.  A  black  fringe  of 
pines  and  hemlocks  bordered  the  plain  where 
it  softly  rounded  away  to  the  eastward;    a 

343 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

vast  forest  of  oak  and  chestnut  formed  its 
western  boundary.  At  its  highest  point  they 
came  in  sight  of  a  house  on  the  northern 
slope,  a  large  square  mansion  built  of  brick; 
an  enormous  elm  almost  swept  the  ground 
with  its  boughs  on  its  eastern  side;  before 
it  stood  an  old-fashioned  sign-post,  and  west- 
ward, almost  in  the  edge  of  its  forest  lay 
its  stabling. 

"  ^  That  must  be  the  tavern,'  said  Boynton, 
instinctively  making  haste   towards   it." 

This  Brick  Inn,  which  Howells  with  true 
artistic  feeling  prefers  to  call  the  Elm  Tav- 
ern, was  built  in  1804  for  the  traders  of  the 
Union  Turnpike  Company.  Lancaster  was 
then  getting  to  be  an  important  staging  town 
and  several  houses  had  sprung  up  in  answer 
to  demand.  To-day,  however,  these  are 
either  private  residences,  abandoned  houses 
or  places  of  doubtful  repute,  —  such  as  Ege- 
ria  and  her  father  soon  discovered  their 
"  Elm  Tavern "  to  be.  During  the  years 
between  the  incorporation  of  Lancaster  and 
its  destruction  by  the  Indians  in  1676,  there 
is  no  record  of  any  public  hostelry  within  its 
borders.  But  in  168 1,  the  year  of  the  re- 
settlement of  the  town,  the  Great  and  Gen- 
eral Court  ordered  ''  that  for  the  future  the 

344 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

selectmen  of  all  Towns  shall  approve  of  all 
Persons  to  be  Licenced  before  Licence  be 
granted  to  any  of  them  by  the  County  Courts 
to  keep  such  Publique  House  or  be  Retailer 
of  Strong  Liquors  in  any  of  said  Towns,  and 
all  Persons  shall  annually  renew  thare  Li- 
cense at  the  Spring  Court  in  thare  respective 
Countys."  All  innkeepers  were  further  re- 
quired to  have  "  some  inoffensive  sign,  obvi- 
ous, for  direction  to  strangers,  and  such  as 
have  no  such  sign  after  three  months  so  Li- 
cenced shall  lose  thare  Licence  and  others 
be  allowed  in  thare  stead."  The  first  man 
to  profit  by  this  requirement  was  Nathaniel 
Wilder  whose  license  was  granted  in  1690 
and  whose  place  of  doing  business  was  a 
garrisoned  house  on  the  southeast  slope  of 
George  Hill. 

A  highly  romantic  figure  was  this  first 
Lancaster  landlord.  In  1673,  ^^  ^^^  mar- 
ried Mary  Sawyer,  grand-daughter  of  John 
Prescott,  and  in  1676  had  fled  with  this 
young  wife  and  an  infant  son  from  an  Indian 
massacre  in  the  course  of  which  most  of  his 
near  neighbours  were  slain.  The  revolting 
tragedies  of  this  day  so  burned  into  his  mind 
that,  the  following  August,  he  and  three 
other  men  murdered  on   Hurtleberry  Hill, 

345 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Concord,  some  Indian  women  and  children 
whom  he  there  encountered. 

Now,  as  it  fell  out,  these  were  not  "  bad 
Indians "  but  the  wives  of  two  Christians 
and  when  their  bodies  were  found  "  not  far 
from  another,  some  shot  through,  others 
their  brains  beat  out  with  hatchets,"  the 
perpetrators  of  the  assault  were  immediately 
arrested,  tried  and  condemned  to  death. 
Upon  trial,  however,  it  was  found  that 
Wilder  had  not  actually  participated  in  the 
act  of  killing,  and  he  escaped  by  paying  a 
heavy  fine.  But  the  blood  shed  on  Hurtle- 
berry  Hill  was  paid  for  all  the  same  by  the 
Wilder  family,  for  he  himself  was  shot 
down  by  an  Indian  at  the  outset  of  the  morn- 
ing assault  made  upon  Lancaster  July  31, 
1704,  by  the  French  and  Indians  led  by 
Chevalier  Beaucour,  —  and  two  of  his  sons 
later  paid  with  their  lives  for  their  father's 
crime  against  the  redmen. 

In  1717,  Capt.  John  White,  also  famous 
as  an  Indian  fighter,  kept  a  licensed  ordi- 
nary in  Lancaster  for  a  single  year.  By 
trade  Capt.  White  was  a  smith,  but  he  be- 
came renowned  as  an  associate  of  Captain 
Lovewell  in  his  campaigning  against  the 
Indians.      He    was    the    hero    of    the    day, 

346 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

March  lo,  1775  when  he  marched  through 
Boston  at  the  head  of  his  sixty  rangers, 
mostly  from  Lancaster,  Groton  and  that 
vicinity,  displaying  ten  bloody  scalps,  worth 
a  thousand  pounds  bounty,  won  by  the  night 
surprise  of  a  war  party  near  the  source  of 
the  Salmon  river  in  New  Hampshire. 

When  Still  River  was  a  part  of  Lancas- 
ter, Captain  Samuel  Willard  held  a  license 
and  kept  an  inn  in  an  admirably  preserved 
specimen  of  the  better  class  of  farmhouses 
of  the  period.  He  was  afterwards  an  inn- 
keeper in  the  Mrs.  Charles  Nichols  house, 
and  it  was  while  here  that  he  led  some  In- 
dian attacks.  His  charge  for  an  ordination 
dinner,  which  included  wine,  has  come  down 
to  us  as  3s  6d  though  the  usual  price  of  a 
meal  was  less  than  half  that.  Casual  lodg- 
ing for  a  person  was  four  pence  per  night 
in  Lancaster,  for  a  horse  six  pence  for 
twenty-four  hours,  and  for  a  yoke  of  oxen  a 
penny  or  two  more. 

Many  romantic  traditions  cling  about  the 
South  Lancaster  house  formerly  known  as 
the  Bowers  Inn.  Built  in  Revolutionary 
days  by  Dr.  Josiah  Wilder,  it  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  most  stately  and  commodi- 
ous mansions  in  the  whole  country  side.     In 

347 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

1778,  Dr.  Wilder  lost  three  children  by 
death  within  six  weeks,  and  his  wife,  also, 
apparently  died  of  the  same  dread  fever 
that  had  stricken  down  the  little  ones.  When 
placed  in  her  coffin  she  was  so  wondrously 
fair,  however,  that  her  husband  could  not 
believe  the  spirit  to  have  left  her  body  and, 
with  the  faint  hope  that  she  might  still 
breathe  to  spur  him  on,  he  worked  and 
worked  over  her  until,  at  last,  she  smiled 
into  his  eyes  and  LIVED,  literally  raised 
from  the  dead.  From  1800  to  1805  the  house 
was  kept  as  an  inn  by  Captain  Josiah  Bow- 
ers, who  fought  at  Bunker  Hill,  but  did 
nothing  else  for  a  lifetime  which  was  to  his 
credit.  After  leaving  the  inn  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  another  Lancaster  house, 
and  there  he  and  his  sharp-tongued  wife 
lived  a  cat  and  dog  life  until,  one  day  when 
her  gibes  were  too  bitter  to  be  borne,  —  he 
walked  around  to  the  well  and  threw  him- 
self headlong  into  it.  Happily,  he  left  a 
considerable  sum  for  the  benefit  of  worthy 
Lancaster  widows,  so  that  his  name  is  to-day 
identified  with  what  means  comfort  and  sol- 
ace to  many  care-worn  women. 

John    Ayers    of    Brookfield,  —  known    in 
early    days    as    Quawbawg,  —  was    another 

348 


Some  Taverns  of  Romance 

calculating  landlord  who  finally  came  out 
a  hero.  In  1674  history  shows  us  this  land- 
lord refusing  to  pay  his  share  of  the  parson's 
support  on  the  ground  "  that  he  keeps  the 
ordinary  and  has  for  time  past  and  should 
be  free  from  it."  (The  tavern  keeper  usu- 
ally furnished  the  sacrament  wine,  and  re- 
peatedly was  given  hints  "  to  accommodate 
the  church  occasion.")  But,  though  he 
would  not  contribute  to  the  parson's  salary, 
John  Ayers  proved  himself  every  inch  a  man 
when  King  Philip's  war  broke  out  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Things  were  looking  pretty 
black  just  then  for  Quawbawg.  The  redmen 
had  made  a  sudden  rush  upon  the  little  set- 
tlement, and  the  men  had  been  forced  to 
hurry  their  terror-stricken  families  to  the 
shelter  of  Ayers'  Tavern.  Eighty-two  per- 
sons were  shut  up  within  the  walls  of  the 
house,  and  to  this  number  were  soon  added 
four  more  for  two  women  gave  birth  to 
twins.  At  the  beginning  of  the  fray  many 
of  the  men  were  killed  and  wounded,  but 
when  the  Indians,  "  like  so  many  wild  bulls," 
piled  up  hay  and  wood  against  the  walls  and 
set  it  on  fire,  the  few  who  had  survived  sal- 
lied out  and  intrepidly  quenched  the  flames. 
"  The  next  night,"  says  a  witness^  "  the  sav- 

349 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

ages  renewed  their  attack.  They  used  sev- 
eral stratagems  to  fire  us,  namely  by  wild- 
fire on  cotton  and  linen  rags  with  brimstone 
in  them,  which  rags  they  tied  to  the  piles 
of  their  arrows  sharp  for  the  purpose  and 
shot  them  to  the  roof  of  our  house  after  they 
had  set  them  on  fire,  which  would  have 
much  endangered  in  the  burning  thereof, 
had  we  not  used  means  by  cutting  holes 
through  the  roof  and  otherwise  to  beat  said 
arrows  down,  and  God  being  pleased  to 
prosper  our  endeavors  therein."  Thanks, 
however,  to  the  rain  "  sent  by  the  Lord  for 
the  salvation  of  His  people "  and  to  relief 
brought  from  neighbouring  towns  Sergt. 
Ayers's  ordinary  as  well  as  its  host  of  invol- 
untary guests  were  saved  from  conflagration 
and  from  worse  than  death  at  the  hands  of 
the  Indians.  The  old  house  survived  for 
many  years,  but  it  has  now  long  since  fallen 
into  decay. 


350 


CHAPTER   XVII 

WHEN  LAFAYETTE  CAME  BACK 

Many  of  the  public  houses  at  which  La- 
fayette stopped  during  his  visits  to  this  coun- 
try in  1824  and  1825  have  already  been  des- 
cribed in  the  chapter  on  the  Washington 
taverns,  but  it  seems  worth  while  to  speak 
of  the  Lafayette  inns  in  a  group  because  of 
the  opportunity  thus  afforded  to  rehearse 
one  of  the  most  interesting  episodes  in  our 
social  history.  Few  Americans  under  fifty, 
I  dare  say,  have  read  the  story  of  Lafayette's 
triumphal  tours  through  New  England,  but 
it  is  a  tale  well  worth  hearing,  not  only  be- 
cause one  of  the  greatest  men  associated  with 
our  country's  history  is  its  hero,  but  also 
because  it  spreads  before  us,  as  in  a  pano- 
rama, the  habits  and  customs  of  a  time  now 
gone  for  ever.  ' ''* 

Free  punch  as  well  as  bread  and  cheese 
were  furnished  at  the  city's  expense  to  the 
m«n  waiting  to  escort  Lafayette  into  Boston 

351 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

on  that  occasion,  and  Josiah  Quincy,  who 
tells  this  incident  in  his  "  Figures  of  the 
Past,"  remarks  that  though  there  would  have 
been  the  greatest  indignation  had  someone 
proposed  to  provide  free  books  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  taxpayers,  there  seemed  no  rea- 
son whatever  why  municipal  punch  should 
not  flow  on  this  and  similar  occasions! 

When  all  is  said,  however,  there  was  no 
occasion  similar  to  that  1824  tour  of  La- 
fayette. Congress  had  offered  to  send  a  ship 
expressly  to  convey  to  our  shores  him  who 
had  once  ventured  his  all  in  our  defence, 
but  the  noble  Republican  preferred  to  come 
over  as  a  private  citizen  and  so  sailed  quietly 
from  Havre.  But,  once  within  our  borders, 
he  was  the  guest  of  the  nation,  and  the  salute 
which  welcomed  him  just  before  he  landed 
at  Staten  Island  was,  by  direction  of  the 
President,  that  due  to  the  highest  military 
rank  in  our  service.  In  New  York  every 
kind  of  public  honour  was  paid  him  and, 
—  what  must  have  touched  him  most,  —  the 
citizens  generally  mounted  the  revolutionary 
cockade  (black  and  white)  in  compliment 
to  him  who  had  languished  in  an  Austrian 
dungeon  out  of  desire  that  the  French  peo- 
ple should  be  free. 

352 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

The  first  spot  in  New  England  which  it 
pleased  Lafayette  to  visit  during  this  tour 
was  Putnam's  Hill  at  Greenwich,  or  Horse- 
neck,  as  the  place  is  generally  called,  in  allu- 
sion to  the  doughty  general's  hazardous  ride. 
Lafayette  chose  to  walk  down  this  hill,  and, 
as  he  made  his  way  along  the  steps  cut  in 
the  precipice,  a  salute  of  twenty-four  guns 
was  fired  in  his  honour.  From  Greenwich 
to  Stamford  and  from  Stamford  to  Bridge- 
port and  New  Haven  the  aged  soldier  trav- 
elled rapidly,  every  bridge  and  toll-gate 
along  the  way  being  thrown  open  freely  to 
him  and  his  escort.  The  enthusiasm  which 
pervaded  all  classes  in  these  Connecticut 
towns  is  worth  noting.  The  story  is  told  of 
an  old  lady  in  charge  of  a  turnpike  gate  to 
whom  a  facetious  traveller  observed:  *^  Well, 
madam,  I  suppose  you  are  very  glad  Gen- 
eral Lafayette  has  come,  as  you  must  have 
made  oceans  of  money  to-day  at  the  gates?" 
The  old  lady  felt  very  indignant  at  the  re- 
mark. "  Sir,"  she  replied,  ^'  you  must  know 
that  the  General  and  his  friends  go  through 
this  gate  free  of  toll;  and  I  should  like  to 
have  him  pass  a  thousand  times!"  "Oho, 
then  your  gates  are  free  now?"  "Yes,"  re- 
plied the  Connecticut  dame,  without  a  mo- 

353 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

mentis  hesitation,  "  for  such  men  as  Lafay- 
ette, but  not  for  those  who  come  so  far  be- 
hind him." 

Even  the  horses  were  exhorted  to  make 
the  most  of  this  extraordinary  occasion. 
"  Behave  pretty  now,  Charley,"  the  driver 
of  Lafayette's  coach  was  heard  to  say  to  one 
of  his  pair,  "  behave  pretty,  you  are  going 
to  carry  the  greatest  man  in  the  world." 

Morse's  Hotel  was  the  General's  New 
Haven  headquarters  and  here  he  was  met  by 
the  veterans  of  the  Revolution  and  many 
friends  and  associates  of  other  days.  In 
front  of  the  house  passed  a  procession  of 
military  corps  and  of  Yale  students  and, 
after  reviewing  these,  Lafayette  enjoyed  a 
breakfast  "  with  the  mayor,  aldermen  and 
about  one  hundred  invited  guests  which  was 
handsomely  served  up  by  Mr.  Morse  at  the 
expense  of  the  city."  While  the  feast  was  in 
progress  word  was  brought  in  that  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  honoured  guests  were 
overflowing  the  parlours  and  begging  the 
honour  of  being  presented  to  the  great  man. 
Such  a  call  was,  of  course,  not  to  be  refused 
by  a  gallant  Frenchman,  and,  the  duties  of 
the  table  being  ended,  the  Marquis  hastened 
to  put  himself  at  the  service  of  the  ladies. 

354  • 


GOLDEN  BALL  TAVERN,  PROVIDENCE 


IVhen  Lafayette  Came  Back 

A  visit  to  the  public  green,  some  private 
calls,  and  an  inspection  of  the  College,  occu- 
pied the  rest  of  the  forenoon,  and  about  three 
o'clock  the  General  took  his  departure  on 
the  lower  road  by  East  Haven,  Guilford, 
Saybrook  and  Lyme  to  New  London. 
Morse's  Hotel  was  afterwards  the  Franklin 
Hotel  but  the  place  as  a  public  house  dis- 
appeared many  years  ago. 

In  Norwich  the  crowd  from  the  wharf 
bridge  to  the  hotel  of  the  great  general  was 
so  dense  that  it  was  only  with  difficulty  that 
Lafayette  and  his  escort  could  make  their 
way  through,  and  during  the  supper  which 
followed  reiterated  cheers  were  repeatedly 
sent  up  from  outside;  at  each  of  these  bursts 
of  enthusiasm  the  hero  of  the  occasion  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  window  and  bowed  his 
appreciation. 

The  Providence  inn  honoured  by  Lafay- 
ette's presence  was  the  Golden  Ball  of  which 
we  have  already  heard  in  connection  with 
Washington's  visit  to  New  England  in  1789. 
Thither  the  people's  guest  rode  uncovered 
in  a  barouche  drawn  by  four  white  horses 
and  follow^ed  by  an  imposing  procession. 
Upon  his  visit  to  the  State  House,  crowds  of 
ladies  strewed  flowers  in  his  path,  and  after- 

355 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

wards,  at  the  hotel,  he  received  for  nearly 
two  hours  in  his  apartment  and  appeared 
at  intervals  on  the  piazza  in  response  to  the 
tumultuous  applause  outside.  Then,  about 
half  past  four,  he  set  off  for  Massachusetts, 
being  met  just  beyond  Pawtucket  by  the  aides 
of  .His  Excellency,  Governor  Eustis,  who 
escorted  him  to  the  mansion  which  still 
stands,  though  sadly  degenerate,  and  which 
is  variously  known  as  the  Shirley  or  Eustis 
House,  Roxbury.  Lafayette,  it  is  interest- 
ing to  note,  availed  himself  more  of  private 
hospitality  than  Washington  had  done. 
There  was  not  the  danger  there  would  have 
been  in  the  President's  case  of  offending  cer- 
tain citizens  by  accepting  the  entertainment 
offered  by  certain  others. 

It  had  been  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  Lafayette  reached  Roxbury,  and  he 
was  an  old  man.  Consequently,  it  was  not 
until  the  following  afternoon  (Tuesday,  Au- 
gust 22,  1824)  that  he  made  his  entry  into 
Boston  and  was  presented  by  Governor  Eus- 
tis to  Mayor  Josiah  Quincy  (the  elder). 
Every  possible  arrangement  had  been  made 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  city's  distin- 
guished guest,  with  the  result  that  all  the 
buildings  along  the  line  of  march  were  taste- 

356 


IVhen  Lafayette  Came  Back 

fully  hung  with  bunting  and  the  French  and 
American  flags  were  everywhere  shown  ap- 
propriately entwined. 

On  the  site  of  the  Old  Liberty  Tree  Mr. 
S.  Haskell  had  just  erected  a  four-story  brick 
building,  which  he  had  named  Lafayette 
Hotel,  in  honour  of  the  expected  guest.  At 
this  point,  therefore,  the  decorations  were 
especially  effective.  A  civic  arch  had  been 
reared  twenty-five  feet  high,  decorated  with 
French  and  American  flags  and  displaying  in 
the  centre  a  large  scroll  with  the  words 
"WASHINGTON  AND  LAFAYETTE: 
A  REPUBLIC  NOT  UNGRATEFUL." 
Upon  tablets  at  either  side  in  golden  letters 
was  the  following: 

"  The  fathers  in  glory  shall  sleep 

That  gathered  with  thee  in  the  fight. 

But  the  sons  will  eternally  keep 

The  tablet  of  gratitude  bright; 

We  bow  not  the  neck  and  we  bend  not  the  knee, 
But  our  hearts,  Lafayette,  we  surrender  to  thee." 

On  the  east  side  of  the  arch  were  two  inter- 
esting verses  on  the  Liberty  Tree 

**  Of  high  renown,  here  grew  the  tree 
Of  elm,  so  dear  to  Liberty; 

357 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Your  sires,  beneath  its  sacred  shade, 
To  Freedom  early  homage  paid. 

"  This  day  with  filial  awe  surround 
Its  root  that  sanctifies  the  ground 
And  by  your  father's  spirits  swear 

The  rights  they  left  you'll  not  impair/* 


Upon  reading  these  verses,  Lafayette,  to 
whom  liberty  had  meant  so  much  of  sorrow 
and  service,  was  deeply  affected.  So  was 
the  crowd  on  either  side,  and  the  ovation 
they  then  gave  the  aged  general  was  such 
that  the  procession  had  to  come  to  a  halt. 
Whereupon  a  most  pleasing  incident  oc- 
curred. For  from  the  door  of  the  hotel 
emerged  a  beautiful  young  girl  with  a  silk 
sash  of  red,  white  and  blue  draped  across 
her  shoulders,  and  bearing  upon  a  silver 
salver  glasses  and  a  bottle  of  the  red  claret 
wine  of  France.  Stepping  to  the  side  of 
the  barouche  she  invited  the  General  to  par- 
take, which  he  did  with  his  usual  graceful 
courtesy.  Thus  it  came  about  that  the  first 
refreshment  taken  by  Lafayette  in  the  new 
city  of  Boston  was  furnished  him  from  the 
hotel  bearing  his  name,  now  Brigham's 
Hotel. 

358 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

After  this  incident  another  and  remark- 
able one  took  place.  As  Lafayette  rode  up 
Tremont  street,  receiving  on  all  hands  the 
homage  and  congratulations  of  the  immense 
throngs  that  greeted  him,  he  perceived, 
seated  on  a  balcony  of  a  house  then  called 
"  Colonnade  Row,"  Mme.  Scott,  the  some- 
time wife  of  the  sturdy  old  Governor  John 
Hancock.  She  had  been  his  hostess  in  the 
old  Hancock  mansion  on  Beacon  street  as  far 
back  as  the  year  1781,  and  now,  after  a  lapse 
of  forty-three  years,  was  instantly  recognized 
by  the  general.  With  the  inborn  courtesy 
of  a  Frenchman,  Lafayette  directed  his  con- 
veyance to  stop  in  front  of  the  house,  and 
rising,  with  his  hand  placed  over  his  heart, 
made  a  graceful  obeisance,  which  was  grace- 
fully returned.  Then  the  lady  burst  into 
tears  and  exclaimed,  "  I  have  lived  long 
enough ! " 

The  procession  had  now  come  to  Boylston 
street,  and  was  ordered  to  halt.  The  pupils 
of  the  public  schools,  under  the  direction  of 
their  teachers,  had  been  arranged  in  a  double 
line  on  the  Tremont-street  mall,  and  were 
protected  by  peace  officers.  The  children 
had  been  instructed  during  the  past  month 
to  sing  the  national  hymn  of  France,  "  The 

359 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Marseillaise."  They  were  all  provided  with 
bouquets  of  bright  flowers;  the  girls  were 
all  dressed  in  white,  wearing  red  sash  rib- 
bons and  blue  ribbons  on  their  summer  hats; 
the  boys  were  also  attired  in  red,  white  and 
blue,  white  pants,  blue  jackets  and  a  red  rib- 
bon on  their  hats.  The  moment  Lafayette 
entered  the  mall,  the  children  struck  up,  in 
good  voice  and  time,  that  glorious  anthem 
"  Marseillaise."    The  effect  was  electrical. 

The  third  incident  of  the  day  now  took 
place,  and,  as  was  each  of  the  others,  was 
entirely  unexpected  by  the  committee!  A 
young  girl  threw  her  bouquet  in  front  of 
Lafayette.  Her  patriotic  act  was  instantly 
taken  up  and  every  child  all  along  the  line 
threw  bouquets  upon  the  mall,  and  Lafay- 
ette literally  passed  over  a  bed  of  natural 
flowers,  strewn  at  his  feet,  and  in  his  honour. 
It  was  the  most  affecting  incident  of  the  day. 

A  battalion  of  light  infantry  was  formed 
on  Park-street  mall,  and  passed  in  review 
by  the  general.  As  he  entered  the  State 
House  grounds  a  salute  was  fired  by  artil- 
lery posted  on  the  high  ground  south  of  the 
Frog  Pond.  He  paid  a  short  visit  of  cour- 
tesy to  the  governor  and  council,  after  which 
he  was  escorted  to  his  lodgings  in  the  stately 

360 


tVhen  Lafayette  Came  Back 

old-time  residence  of  Thomas  Amory,  Esq., 
now  standing  at  the  corner  of  Park  and 
Beacon  streets.  Shortly  after  reaching  his 
lodgings,  he  appeared  on  the  balcony,  hav- 
ing on  either  side  of  him  Governor  Eustis 
and  ex-Governor  John  Brooks,  both  of 
whom  wore  their  old  Continental  uniforms. 

The  dinner  of  that  festal  day  was  served 
at  the  Exchange  Coffee  House  on  State  and 
Congress  streets,  —  not  the  magnificent  build- 
ing erected  by  Charles  Bulfinch  in  1808,  but 
the  less  pretentious  structure  which  suc- 
ceeded that  elegant  edifice  on  the  same  site 
and  which  continued  until  1853  to  be  a 
popular  tavern  and  the  starting-place  of 
most  of  the  stages.  Among  the  toasts  of  the 
occasion  was  this  neat  one  by  General  La- 
fayette: "  The  City  of  Boston,  the  CRADLE 
OF  LIBERTY.  May  Faneuil  Hall  ever 
stand  a  monument  to  teach  the  world  that 
resistance  to  oppression  is  a  duty,  and  will, 
under  true  republican  institutions  become  a 
blessing." 

On  Phi  Beta  Kappa  day  Lafayette  was 
in  Cambridge  to  hear  the  great  oratorical 
triumph  of  Edward  Everett,  a  speech  so 
inspired,  so  overpowering,  that  at  its  close 
every   man    in    the    assembly   was    in    tears. 

361 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

Josiah  Quincy,  who  was  present  as  a  recent 
Harvard  graduate,  wrote,  twenty  years  af- 
terward, that  he  could  conceive  of  nothing 
more  magnificent  in  the  way  of  speech-mak- 
ing. And  certainly  the  effort  must  have 
been  magnificent  if  it,  as  a  whole,  lived  up 
to  this  paragraph  in  it: 

"  Welcome,  friend  of  our  fathers,  to  our 
shores!  Happy  are  our  eyes  that  behold 
these  venerable  features!  Enjoy  a  triumph 
such  as  never  conqueror  or  monarch  enjoyed, 
—  the  assurance  that  throughout  America 
there  is  not  a  bosom  which  does  not  beat 
with  joy  and  gratitude  at  the  sound  of  your 
name.  You  have  already  met  and  saluted, 
or  will  soon  meet,  the  few  that  remain  of 
the  ardent  patriots,  prudent  counsellors  and 
brave  warriors  with  whom  you  were  asso- 
ciated in  achieving  our  liberty.  But  you 
have  looked  round  in  vain  for  the  faces  of 
many  who  would  have  lived  years  of  pleas- 
ure on  a  day  like  this,  with  their  old  com- 
panion in  arms  and  brother  in  peril.  Lin- 
coln and  Greene,  Knox  and  Hamilton,  are 
gone;  the  heroes  of  Saratoga  and  Yorktown 
have  fallen  before  the  only  foe  they  could 
not  meet.  Above  all,  the  first  of  heroes 
and  of  men,  the  friend  of  your  youth,  the 

362 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

more  than  friend  of  his  country,  rests  in  the 
bosom  of  the  soil  he  redeemed.  On  the 
banks  of  his  Potomac  he  lies  in  glory  and 
in  peace.  You  will  revisit  the  hospitable 
shades  of  Mt.  Vernon;  but  him  whom  you 
venerated  as  we  did  you  will  not  meet  at 
its  door.  His  voice  of  consolation,  which 
reached  you  in  the  Austrian  dungeons,  can- 
not now  break  its  silence,  to  bid  you  wel- 
come to  his  own  roof.  But  the  grateful 
children  of  America  will  bid  you  welcome 
in  his  name.  Welcome!  thrice  welcome  to 
our  shores!  And  whithersoever  throughout 
the  limits  of  the  continent  your  course  shall 
take  you,  the  ear  that  hears  you  shall  bless 
you,  the  eye  that  sees  you  shall  bear  witness 
to  you,  and  every  tongue  exclaim  with  heart- 
felt joy,  Welcome!  Welcome!  Lafayette!" 
Charlestown,  Medford,  Dorchester  and 
Quincy  were  also  visited  by  the  General, 
but  in  each  instance  he  returned  to  Boston 
to  sleep.  On  the  day  before  his  departure 
from  the  city  he  dined  in  a  marquee  on 
Boston  Common  with  twelve  hundred  peo- 
ple, probably  the  largest  number  ever  seated 
at  a  single  dinner-table  in  New  England. 
Then  on  Tuesday  morning  he  left  the  city, 
escorted  by  a  troop  of  cavalry,  to  visit  Ports- 

363 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

mouth.  Lynn,  Marblehead  and  Salem  did 
him  honour  on  the  way,  the  Lafayette  Cof- 
fee House  in  the  last-named  city  being  the 
scene  of  his  entertainment.  Beverly,  too, 
saluted  him  as  he  passed  through  to  Ipswich, 
in  which  town  he  partook  of  a  collation 
at  the  public  house  of  Mr.  Treadwell. 
Through  Rowley  to  Newburyport  went  the 
distinguished  Frenchman,  and  in  the  latter 
place  he  was  entertained,  as  Washington  had 
been  before  him,  in  what  was  formerly  Na- 
thaniel Tracy's  mansion  house  and  is  now 
the  Public  Library. 

Wednesday  found  him  in  Portsmouth,  a 
guest  at  the  elegant  mansion  house  of  Gov- 
ernor Langdon.  Then  he  returned  to  Bos- 
ton and  prepared  for  a  fresh  start;  New 
York,  Washington  and  Philadelphia  were 
still  awaiting  him!  Thursday  morning,  ac- 
cordingly, found  the  General  passing  through 
West  Cambridge  and  Lexington  on  his  way 
to  Worcester  and  beyond.  On  the  spot 
where  the  first  blood  of  the  Revolution  was 
shed  a  marquee  had  been  pitched,  and  here 
the  guest  of  honour  partook  of  refreshment. 
A  similar  entertainment  was  enjoyed  at  Con- 
cord, and  that  night  the  hero  lodged  with 
Mr.  Wilder  in  Bolton,  with  whom  he  had 

364 


IVhen  Lafayette  Came  Back 

a  previous  acquaintance.  Friday  morning 
he  journeyed  to  Lancaster,  where  he  greeted 
the  surviving  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  as 
usual,  and  listened  to  an  address  delivered 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer.  Thence  he  pressed 
on  to  Worcester  through  Sterling  and  West 
Boylston.  Judge  Lincoln  was  his  host  in 
the  shire  town  and  the  addresses,  given  and 
received,  were  most  touching  and  sincere. 

Bennett's  Hotel,  Hartford,  now  no  longer 
a  public  house,  honoured  itself  by  honouring 
him,  but  because  he  had  been  detained  over- 
night at  Stafford  by  an  accident  to  his  car- 
riage he  could  not  stop  in  Connecticut's  cap- 
ital so  long  as  he  had  intended  to  do,  and 
about  half  past  three  set  sail  on  the  steam- 
boat Olliver  Ellsworth  towards  New  York. 
At  Middletown  he  left  the  steamer  to  salute 
the  townspeople  gathered  in  his  honour,  but 
by  the  time  Saybrook,  further  down  the 
river  was  reached,  the  General  was  fast 
asleep,  worn  out  with  the  fatigue  of  his  fort- 
night of  festivity,  and  in  spite  of  the  disap- 
pointment of  thousands  he  was  not  awak- 
ened. So,  wrapped  in  needed  slumber,  he 
passed  out  of  New  England. 

The  following  June,  however,  he  was  back 
again    laying    the    corner-stone    of    Bunker 

365 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

iHill  monument  to  the  accompaniment  of 
Webster's  matchless  oration.  And  on  this 
occasion  he  journeyed  up  into  New  Hamp- 
shire and  was  entertained  at  Dunbarton  by 
the  son  of  General  Stark.  In  nearby  Hop- 
kinton  (N.  H.)  he  held  a  public  reception 
in  front  of  the  Wiggin  Tavern  and  was 
greeted,  no  doubt,  by  a  large  number  of  the 
town's  citizens.  Yet  the  only  data  that  has 
come  down  to  us  about  the  day  comes  from 
an  entry  made  by  Miss  Betsey  P.  Eaton, 
afterwards  Mrs.  Brockway,  in  her  school 
dictionary:  "  June  22,  1825.  Keeping  school 
in  this  village  this  summer,  and  Esquire 
Chase  called  at  the  door  saying  LAFAY- 
ETTE was  here,  and  wished  me  to  dismiss 
the  school  that  we  might  all  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  shaking  hands  with  so  distinguished 
a  personage.  His  aids  were  Ignatius  Sar- 
gent and  Peter  C.  Brooks,  citizens  of  Bos- 
ton." 

•        •••••• 

To  this  time  in  our  history,  though  in  no 
way  connected  with  Lafayette,  belong  sev- 
eral well-preserved  Maine  taverns  of  his- 
toric and  staging  interest.  First  place 
among  these  will  undoubtedly  be  accorded 
to   the   house   in   Freeport,    in   which   were 

366 


WIGGIN  TAVERN,  HOPKINTON 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

signed  the  final  papers  separating  Maine 
from  Massachusetts.  Built  about  a  century 
and  a  quarter  ago  for  Dr.  John  Hyde,  a 
successful  physician  of  that  day,  the  house 
was  afterwards  sold  to  a  landlord  who  made 
it  famous  as  the  Jameson  Tavern.  It  was 
one  of  the  principal  stopping-places  between 
Boston  and  Bangor,  and  many  well-known 
men  timed  their  journeys  "  down-east "  so 
that  they  might  enjoy  the  comfortable  beds, 
good  cuisine  and  excellent  liquor  this  inn 
offered.  For  in  those  days  Maine  was  not 
a  prohibition  district  and  the  Jameson  Tav- 
ern displayed  a  roomy  bar  in  what  is  now 
the  kitchen  of  Mrs.  Charles  Cushing's  pri- 
vate residence. 

The  thing  that  chiefly  distinguishes  this 
house,  however,  is  the  fact  that  in  its  front 
northeast  room  there  met  in  1820  the  com- 
missioners who  were  empowered  to  make 
Maine  a  state.  The  representatives  of  both 
Maine  and  Massachusetts  worked  more  than 
a  fortnight  here  on  the  matter  and  in  the 
end  it  was  settled  that  Maine  should  give 
Massachusetts  $180,000  for  her  part  of  the 
public  lands  in  that  state.  Of  this  sum 
$30,000  was  in  Indian  claims  which  Maine 
assumed,  and  the  remaining  $150,000  was  to 

367 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

be  paid  in  forty  years  with  interest  at  five 
per  cent.  The  commissioners  which  made 
this  bargain  included  Timothy  Bigelow  of 
Groton,  Massachusetts,  Levi  Lincoln  of 
Worcester,  Benjamin  Porter  of  Topsham 
and  James  Bridge  of  Augusta,  Maine. 
These  four  chose  Silas  Holman  of  Bolton, 
Massachusetts,  and  Lathrop  Lewis  of  Gor- 
ham,  Maine  to  complete  the  board.  Nego- 
tiations had  been  begun,  some  time  previous, 
by  the  three  commissioners  from  Maine 
joined  by  Daniel  Rose  of  the  Senate  and 
Nicholas  Emery  of  the  House  and  proceed- 
ing to  Boston  they  had  been  met  by  the  Mas- 
sachusetts commissioners.  It  was  only  after 
a  long  session,  during  which  the  board  sat 
at  several  towns  and  cities  in  Massachusetts 
that  they  met  at  Jameson  Tavern  in  Free- 
port  and  signed  the  final  papers. 

Machias,  Maine,  has  an  old  Burnham 
Tavern  which  has  recently  been  purchased 
by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, who  will  use  it  as  a  museum;  and  in 
the  town  of  Durham,  Maine,  there  stands  a 
well-preserved  house,  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Wesley  Day,  which  is  an  excellent  specimen 
of  the  better  class  of  early  public  houses 
in  that  state. 

368 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

Bath,  Maine's  shipping  city,  is  able  to 
point  with  pride  to  the  Shepard  Inn,  an  old 
mansion  which  is  still  in  the  family  of  those 
who  ma*de  it  famous  a  century  ago  as  a  stag- 
ing-house. The  first  sight  that  met  the  trav- 
eller who  entered  here  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century  was  a  little  window  in  the 
front  hall  which  served  as  a  bar,  and  over 
which  were  handed  hot  toddies,  gin  fizzes 
and  many  another  delectable  drink.  Up- 
stairs in  those  bygone  days  was  a  big  room 
provided  with  a  swinging  partition.  When 
a  big  banquet  or  a  dance  was  being  pre- 
pared for,  this  could  be  hooked  up  out  of 
the  way,  but  on  ordinary  occasions  it  di- 
vided the  upper  part  of  the  house  into  two 
rooms,  where  as  many  temporary  beds  as 
might  be  needed  could  be  set  up  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  travellers  (mostly 
men)  whom  the  big  yellow  coaches  had 
brought  to  the  door.  The  greatest  treasure 
in  the  house,  then  as  to-day,  was  the  wall- 
paper of  the  north  parlour.  This  was 
brought  from  Italy  more  than  a  century  ago 
by  Captain  James  Hall,  a  relative  of  the 
inn^s  original  proprietor  and  is  in  coloured 
sheets  about  a  yard  square.  One  of  the 
scenes  depicted  is  the  Vatican  of  Rome. 

369 


Among  Old  New  England  Inns 

With  the  passing  of  the  stagecoach,  how- 
ever, this  and  hundreds  of  other  old  taverns 
closed  their  doors  to  the  public  for  ever. 
They  had  served  their  time,  and  they  quietly 
made  way  for  a  more  bustling  generation. 

"  No  longer  the  host  hobbles  down  from  his  rest 
In  the  porches  cool  shadows  to  welcome  his  guest 
With  a  smile  of  delight  and  a  grasp  of  the  hand 
And  a  glance  of  the  eye  that  no  heart  could  withstand. 

**  When  the  long  rains  of  Autumn  set  in  from  the  west 
The  mirth  of  the  landlord  was  broadest  and  best; 
And  the  stranger  who  paused  over  night  never  knew 
If  the  clock  on  the  mantel  struck  ten  or  struck  two. 

"  Oh  the  songs  they  would  sing  and  the  tales  they 

would  spin 
As  they  lounged  in  the  light  of  the  old-fashioned  inn ; 
But  the  day  came  at  last  when  the  stage  brought  no 

load 
To  the  gate  as  it  rolled  up  the  long  dusty  road." 

But  though  the  age  of  the  stagecoach  has 
passed,  the  reign  of  the  motor-car  is  now  on, 
and  dozens  of  vehicles  draw  up  at  the  inn 
door  in  place  of  the  single  rumbling  coach. 
Other  times,  other  manners  and  not  worse 
manners  either,  from  the  landlord's  point  of 

370 


When  Lafayette  Came  Back 

view;  for  these  merry  loads  of  automobilists 
have  good  appetites  and  pay  well  for  what 
is  served  them.  Moreover,  if  they  are  gra- 
ciously and  hospitably  received,  they  come 
again  and  again.  There  is,  indeed,  nothing 
they  like  better  than  journeying  in  twen- 
tieth century  touring-cars  among  the  old 
New  England  inns,  whose  proprietors  have 
adapted  their  houses  to  meet  modern  de- 
mands. 

Author's  Note.  —  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  William  B. 
Clarke,  of  Boston,  for  calling  my  attention  to  the  fact  that 
still  another  Western  Massachusetts  tavern  was  connected 
with  Shay's  Rebellion,  —  that  kept  by  Major  Samuel 
Clarke  in  the  house  still  standing  on  Hawley  Street, 
Northampton,  and  now  owned  by  Frank  Ingersoll  Wash- 
burn. Major  Clarke  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of 
Correspondence  and  he  served  with  distinction  through- 
out the  Revolution.  When  Shay's  Rebellion  broke  out  he 
was  keeping  the  tavern,  where,  on  the  last  Tuesday  of 
August,  1786,  the  court  held  session  in  defiance  of  the 
armed  mob  which  was  parading  in  front  of  the  court- 
house in  order  that  no  legal  business  should  there  be 
transacted. 


THE  END. 


371 


INDEX 


Abbott,   Miss   Priscilla,    183. 

Abbotts's  Tavern,  Andover, 
Mass.,  182. 

Adams,  John,  37,  91,  93,  96, 
154,  158,  209,  226,  286,  343. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  190, 
266. 

Adams,  Helen  Reddington, 
120. 

Adams,  Colonel  Herschel, 
120. 

Adams,    Samuel,   98,    161. 

Addison,  232. 

Allen,    Ethan,    70,    71. 

Ames,  Hon.  Fisher,  212. 

Ames,  Nathaniel,  tavern- 
keeper,  23,  209. 

Amherst   College,   53. 

Amherst   House,    52,   53. 

Amory,  Thomas,  361. 

Anchor  Tavern,  L3mn,  67. 

Andrews,  John,  tavern- 
keeper,  276. 

Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  114. 

Aplin,   Joseph,   130. 

Appleton,  Hon.  Nathan,  325. 

Appleton,    Samuel,   276. 

Armitage,  Joseph,  tavern- 
keeper,   65,   66,   dy. 

Arms,  David.  64. 

Arnold,  Eleazer,  tavern- 
keeper.  140,  142. 

Arnold,  Peleg,  tavern-keeper, 
139,   140. 

Arnold,  Thomas,  tavern- 
keeper,  139. 

Arnold  Tavern,  Old  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  132,  138. 


Arnold's  Tavern,  Union  Vil- 
lage, R.  I.,  139. 

Arnold's  Tavern,  Weymouth, 
Mass.,   113, 

Austin,  Samuel,  tavern- 
keeper,  10. 

Ayers,  John,  tavern-keeper, 
348. 

Baker,  C.  Alice,  d},,  65. 
Baker,  Erastus,  65. 
Baldwin     Tavern,      Shrews- 
bury, Mass.,  37,  39,  40,  45. 
Barker,   Joshua,   85. 
Barrett,  James,  200. 
Barnard's,  316. 
Barnard,  Salah,  64. 
Barrington,  Major,  137. 
Barton,   Major  William,  132, 

134,   135,   "^Z^^   139- 
Beaucour,  Chevalier,  346. 
Beers,    Isaac,    tavern-keeper, 

154. 
Belcher,    Gov.    Jonathan,    55, 

Belchertown,  62. 

Bell  Tavern,  Danvers,  Mass., 

234,  338,  340. 
Bell      Tavern,      Portsmouth, 

N.  H.,  304,  306. 
Bennett,  John,  tavern-keeper, 

157. 
Bennett's     Hotel,     Hartford, 

Conn.,  365. 
Bernard,  Governor,  93. 
Berry    Tavern,    D  a  n  v  e  r  s  ^ 

Mass.,  342. 
Bigelow,  Timothy,  200. 


373 


Index 


Bishop,  George,  289. 

Black  Horse  Tavern,  Con- 
cord, Mass.,   no. 

Black  Horse  Tavern,  Marl- 
borough,   Mass.,    195. 

Blake,  Capt.  John,  270. 

Blake,  Henry  T.,  152. 

Blay,   Ruth,   303. 

"  Blew  Anchor  Tavern," 
Boston,  "jz,  74- 

Blue  Anchor  Tavern,  Cam- 
bridge, 223. 

Blue  Anchor  Inn,  Newbury- 
port,  246. 

Bliss's  "  Colonial  Times  on 
Buzzard's   Bay,"  yi. 

Blunt,   Capt.  John,   175. 

Boltwood,   Elijah,  52. 

Boltwood,    Solomon,   52. 

Boltwood  Tavern,  53. 

Bonaparte,  Jerome,  158. 

Bourne,  Garrett,  83. 

Bowen,  Col.  Ephraim,  125, 
128. 

Bowen  Inn,  Barrington,  R.  I., 
220. 

Bowers  Inn,  347. 

Bowers,  Capt.  Josiah,  tavern- 
keeper,  348. 

Bowman,   Daniel,   246. 

Boyden's,  316. 

Boynton   Tavern,  272. 

Brackett,    Anthony,  99,    100. 

Bradish's  Tavern,  Cam- 
bridge, 70. 

Brewster,  Charles  W.,  305. 

Brewster,    Col.,   304. 

Brick  Inn,  Lancaster,   Mass., 

344. 

Bridge,  James,  368. 

Brigffs,  Sam.,  213. 

Brigham's   Hotel,  358. 

B'righam's  Tavern,  West- 
borough,  224. 

British  Coffee  House,  91,  92. 

Brookfield,  56,  60,  62. 

Brooklyn,  Conn.,  236. 

Brooks,  Peter  C,  366. 


Brown,  Jacob,  tavern-keeper, 

152. 
Brown,  John,  125. 
Browne,  Rev.  Edmund,  191. 
Bucklin,  Joseph,   127. 
Buckman.    Tavern,     The, 

107. 
Buckminster,     Rev.     Joseph, 

339. 
Bulfinch,    Charles,    361. 
Bull,  Ole,  204. 
Bulkeley,  Rev.  Peter,  109. 
Bunch  of  Grapes  Tavern,  75, 

85,  88,  89,  91,  313. 
Burdick,  Benjamin,  96. 
Burgoyne,   Gen.,  334. 
Burnett,    Governor    William, 

86. 
Buss,  Sergeant  William,  108. 

Carr,  Sir  Robert,  T]. 

Calder,  Robert,  262. 

Caldwell,  William,  tavern- 
keeper,  265. 

Catamount  Tavern,  Benning- 
ton, Vt.,  71. 

Chapin,  Erastus,   157. 

Chartres,    Duchess    de,    309, 

310- 
Chase,  George  Wingate,  178. 
Chastellux,    Marquis,   de,   99, 

156,  256. 
Christophers,  Christopher,  35. 
Church,  Doctor,  97. 
Clark,     Andrew,     tavern- 

keeper,    150. 
Clark's  Hotel,  185. 
Claiison,  John,  4. 
Clifford's     Tavern,     Dunbar- 

ton,  N.  H ,  71- 
ainton,  Sir  iHenry,  132. 
Cobum,  Jacob,  tavern-keeper, 

264. 
Coffin,  Dr.  Charles,  243. 
Coffin,   Col.  Joseph.  243. 
Coffin,   Joshua,   243,   245. 
Coffin,   Nathaniel.   243. 
Coffin,  Rev.  Paul,  D.  D.,  243. 


374 


Index 


Coffin,  Tristram,  Jr.,  243. 

Coffin,  William,  tavern- 
keeper,  85. 

CofiFyn,    Dionis,   242. 

Coffyn,  Tristram,  Sr.,  tavern- 
keeper,  242. 

Cold   Spring,  56,  62. 

Cole,    Samuel,   tavern-keeper, 

74. 
Coles,  Robert,  10. 
Colonial  Inn,  Concord,  Mass., 

108. 
Concord,  N.  H.,  312. 
Conkey's     Tavern,     Pelham, 

Mass.,  43. 
Cooper's   Tavern,    Arlington, 

112. 
Cordis's,    91. 
Cornwallis,    Lord,   237. 
Cory,  Samuel,  138. 
Craft,  Colonel,  89. 
Craven,  Lady,  100. 
Cromwell,  Oliver,  68,  ^^,  78, 

100. 
Cromwell's  Head  Tavern, 

Boston,  99. 
Currier,  John  J.,  253. 
Cushing,  Zenas,  170. 

Dalton,  Hon.  Tristram,  171. 

Dana,  Rev.  Samuel,  327. 

Danvers,  Mass.,  234. 

Davenport,  Anthony,  tavern- 
keeper,  256. 

Davenport,  George,  254. 

Davenport,  Moses,  tavern- 
keeper,  256. 

Davenport,  William,  tavern- 
keeper,  251,  255,  256. 

Davenport's,  316. 

Day,  Wesley,  368. 

Deerfield,  55,  57,  58,  65. 

Dexter,  Timothy,  264. 

Dickinson,  Joel,  52. 

Dinwiddie,  Governor,  100. 

Drake,  Samuel  Adams,  87. 

Drown,  Solomon,  Jr.,  131. 

Dudingston,    Lieut.    William, 


122,  123,  124,  126,  127,  128, 

129. 
Duggan,  John,  tavern-keeper, 

229. 
Dunbarton,  N.  H.,  71,  366. 
Dunton,  John,  68,  69,  ^z,  280. 
Durham,  Maine,  368. 
Duxbury,  Tavern  at,  11. 
Dwight's,  Col.,  Brookfield,  56. 
Dwight,  Theodore,  35. 

Eagle  Tavern,  331. 

Earl  of  Halifax  Tavern,  295, 

298. 
Earle,  Alice  Morse,  ^2,  224. 
Earl's,  316. 

Eastern  Stage  House,  320. 
East  Poultney,  Vt.,  331. 
Eaton,  Betsey  P.,  366. 
Edwards,  Jonathan,  62,  153. 
Edwards,      Judge      Pierpont, 

342. 
Ellery  Tavern,  Gloucester, 

222. 
Emery,  Nicholas,   368. 
Endicott,   Gov.,  65,  (^,   286. 
Essex  CoflFee  House,  239. 
Eustis,  Gov.,  361. 
Everett,  Edward,  361. 
Exchange    Coffee     House, 

Boston,  361. 
Exchange   Hotel,   Worcester, 

51- 

Fairbanks.  Mrs.  S.  A.,  45. 

Faneuil   Hall,   361. 

Famsworth,  Thomas  Tread- 
well,   tavern-keeper,  328. 

Farrar,  Major  John,  37. 

Farrar's  Tavern,  Shrews- 
bury, Mass.,  37,  50. 

Fearing,  Benjamin,  tavern- 
keeper,  71,  72. 

Felt,  J.  B.,  169. 

Field,  Edward,  130,  143,  214. 

Fields,  James  T.,  203. 

Fisher,  Joshua,  tavern- 
keeper,  210. 


375 


Index 


Fisher's     Tavern,      Dedham,       Hancock    Tavern,    Boston, 


Flagg,     John,     tavern-keeper, 

1 60. 
Foot,      Asa,      tavern-keeper, 

314- 
Fort      Sewall,      Marblehead, 

335. 
Foster,  WilHam,  85. 
Fowler,  Landlord,  334. 
Fowler,  Henry,  6. 
Frankland,    Sir    Harry,    225, 

335,  338. 
Franklin,    Benjamin,    308. 
Frary,   House,  63. 
Freeport,  Me.,  366. 

Gage,   General,    106. 

Gaspee,  122,  125,  126,  127, 
129. 

Gerry,  Elbridge,  186,  302. 

Golden  Ball  Inn,  Providence, 
R.  I.,  188,  189. 

Golden  Ball  Tavern,  Weston, 
Mass.,  104,  106,  233. 

Goodman,  Richard,  tavern- 
keeper,  218. 

Goodrich,  Elijah  P.,  267. 

Greeley,  Horace,  331. 

Green  Dragon  Tavern,  96,  97, 
99. 

Greenleaf,  Edmund,  tavern- 
keeper,  241,  243. 

Greenwich,  Conn.,  114. 

Greyhound  Tavern,  19. 

Grimes,   Old,  40. 

Groton  Inn,  328. 

Gunnison,  Hugh,  tavern- 
keeper,  13,  75,  y6. 

Hadley,  56,  60. 
Hale,  Thomas,    19,  241. 
Hall,  Capt.  Basil,  220,  231. 
Hall,  Capt.  James,  369. 
Hall,  Henry  F.,  185. 
Hancock,    Governor,   98,    159, 
162,  164,  166,  167,  229,  302. 
Hancock,   Madame,    165. 


Harrington,   Phineas,  325. 
Hatch,  Israel,  312, 
Hatfield,    57,    59. 
Hathorne,  J.  H.,  322. 
Haven's      Tavern,      North 

Kingston,  R.  I.,  29. 
Hawthorne,     Nathaniel,    207, 

234- 

Hay  ward,  John,  tavern- 
keeper,   no. 

Heard,  Augustine,  170. 

Heard,  John,    170, 

Hernton,  John,  5. 

"  Hester   Prynne,"  234. 

Hilton,  Martha,  175,  297. 

Hitchcock,    David,    158. 

Hoar,  Judge  E.  Rockwell, 
III. 

Hoar,  Joseph,  tavern-keeper, 
328. 

Hodgson,  Adam,  221. 

Holman,  Silas,  368. 

Holmes,  Francis,  tavern- 
keeper,  85. 

Homan,  Capt.  Richard,  170. 

Hopkins,  Capt.  John  B.,  126. 

Hopkins,    Chief   Justice,    123. 

Hopkinton,  Mass.,  237. 

Hopkinton,   N.   H.,  235,  312, 

Houghton,  John,  tavern- 
keeper,  215,  216. 

How,  Adam,  tavern-keeper, 
202. 

How,  David,  tavern-keeper, 
194. 

How,   Ezekial,  tavern-keeper, 

195- 
How,  John,  104,  108. 
How,     John,     tavern-keeper, 

192,   193. 
How,  Increase,  tavern-keeper, 

170. 
Howe,  Rev.  Joseph,  339. 
Howe,  Lyman,  tavern-keeper, 

203. 


376 


Index 


Howells,  William  Dean,  343- 

Hudson,  William,  Sr.,  tavern- 
keeper,  75. 

Hudson,  William,  Jr.,  tavern- 
keeper,  76,  TJ. 

Hunt,  John,   136. 

Hurtleberry  Hill,  Concord, 
Mass.,  345- 

Hutchinson,  Governor,  84. 

Hutchinson,  Thomas,  TJ. 

Hyde,  Dr.  John,  367. 

Illsley  House,  251. 
Illsley,  Stephen,  Jr.,  251. 
Ingersoll,    Colonel,    85. 
Ingersoll's,    165. 
Ipswich,    169,    208,    247,    274- 
291,    343- 

Jackson,  Hon.  Jonathan,  173. 
Jacob's  Inn,  184. 
Jameson  Tavern,  367. 
Jewett,  Sarah  Ome,  307. 
Joel   Smith  Tavern,  Weston, 

Mass.,   105. 
Jones,     Captain,     tavern- 

keeper,  104,   107. 
Jones,  Col.  Elisha,   107. 
Jones,     Ephraim,     tavern- 

keeper,   no. 
Jones,    John    Paul,    99,    306, 

307,  308,  309,  310. 
Josselyn,    John,   8. 

Kellogg's,  Hadley  Ferry,  59, 
218. 

Kemble,   Captain,  22. 

Keep,  Capt.  Jonathan,  tavern- 
keeper,  327. 

King's  Arms,  Boston,  13,  75. 

Knapp  Tavern,  114,  118,  .119. 

Knapp,  Timothy,  115. 

Knight,  Sarah,  21  et  seq., 
219. 


Lafayette,  42,  51,  85,  90.  ^SS. 
189,   197,  266,  301,  ZS^-2>^- 


Lafayette  Coffee  Houses, 
Salem,  Mass.,  364. 

Lafayette  Hotel,  Boston,  358. 

Lambert,  John,   330. 

Lambert,  William,  tavern- 
keeper,  262. 

Lancaster,  Mass.,  343. 

Langdon,  Mary,  307. 

Larned's  Tavern,  Watertown, 
56. 

Lawrence  Tavern,  236. 

La  Tour,  9. 

Lear,  Tobias,  176,  177,  178. 

Leary,  Robert,  tavern-keeper, 

7- 
Lee,   Gen.    Charles,    132,   133, 

139. 

Leicester,  56,  60. 

Leverett,   Governor,   78. 

Lewis,    Lathrop,    368. 

Liberty  Tree  Tavern,  83. 

Lincoln,  Levi,  368. 

Lincoln's  "History  of  Wor- 
cester," 44. 

Lindsay,   Benjamin,    124. 

Littleton,   Mass.,   236. 

Livingston,  Elizabeth,  34,  35. 

Livingston,  Madam,  33. 

Locke,  Samuel,  183. 

Longfellow,  Henry  Wads- 
worth,  191,  192,  194,  203, 
205,  206. 

Lord,  Caleb,  285. 

Lord  House,  Portsmouth, 
N.  H..  307. 

Lovewell,   Capt.,  346. 

Low,  Nathaniel,  251. 

Lumpkin,  Richard,  tavern- 
keeper,  278. 

Lunt,  Major  Ezra,  tavern- 
keeper,  262. 

Machias,  Me.,  368. 

Marblehead,  335. 

March,  Hugh,  tavern-keeper, 

24s,   247,  250. 
March,    Paul,    tavern-keeper, 

305. 


377 


Index 


Marlboro    Hotel,    Boston, 

318,  319. 
Marlborough,  Earl  of,  75. 
Marlborough,     Mass.,     56, 

61. 
Marshall,     Thomas,     tavern- 
keeper,  68,  69. 
Marston,     John,      tavern- 

keeper,  85,  90. 
Mather,  Cotton,  15. 
Mather,  Samuel,  22,  225. 
Mawney,  John,   127,  129. 
Mead,  Jonathan,   117. 
Mellish,  John,  328. 
Milford,  Conn.,  150. 
Miller's,  316. 
Molesworth,     Captain     Pon- 

sonby,  81. 
Molyneux,  William,  93. 
Monk,      George,      tavern- 

keeper,  'JZ- 
Montague,  Admiral,  124. 
Montesquieu,    M.    Lynch   de, 

256. 
Monti,  Luigi,  204. 
Moores,  Samuel,  241. 
Morris,  Robert,  306. 
Morse's   Hotel,   New  Haven, 

354. 
Mowry  Tavern,  121. 
Mowry,  Landlord,  3,  5,  6. 
Munroe,    President,    190. 
Munroe,  Thomas,   iii. 
Munroe    Tavern,    Lexington, 

112. 

Newburyport,    170,    172,   236, 

241-273. 
Newburyport  Marine  Society, 

253- 
New  Ipswich,  N,  H.,  324. 
Nichols,    Mrs.    Charles,   347. 
Noble,  Mark,  298,  301. 
Norcross,     Frederic    Walter, 

87. 
Northampton,  57,  60,  62. 
North ey,  Abijah,  168. 
Northfield,  59. 


Oliver,  Andrew,  84. 

Otis,   James,   91,   93,   94,  95» 

96. 
Overing  House,   133,  135. 

Packer,  Thomas,  303. 

Paine,   General,   107. 

Parker,  Captain,   107. 

Parsons,  David,  52. 

Parsons,    Gideon,   52. 

Parsons,  Joseph,  64. 

Parsons,  T.  W.,  204. 

Parsons,  Zenas,  tavern- 
keeper,  157. 

Patterson's,  316. 

Paxton,  Gen.  Charles,  209, 
237. 

Paxton,  Mass.,  237,  238. 

Pearson,  Ebenezer,  tavern- 
keeper,  267. 

Pease,  Levi,  tavern-keeper, 
Z6,  48,  50,  51,  160,  209, 
311- 

Pease  Tavern,  Shrewsbury, 
Mass.,  37. 

Pecker,  Bart,  181. 

Pengry,  Deacon  Moses,  tav- 
ern-keeper, 275,  276. 

Perkins  Inn,  Hopkinton, 
N.  H.,  236. 

Perkins  Tavern,  Ashford, 
Conn.,  185. 

Perkins,  Thomas,  tavern- 
keeper,  259. 

Phillippe,  Louis,  302. 

Phillips,  Bridget,  268. 

Phillips,   Henry,   80. 

Phips,  Sir  William,  86. 

Pickman,  266. 

Pitcairn,  Major,  107,   no. 

Pitt,  William,  236,  301. 

Plumer,  Francis,  tavern- 
keeper,  241. 

Pollard's      Tavern,     Boston, 

239. 
Porter,    Benjamin,   368. 
Porter's  Tavern,   Cambridge, 

69. 


378 


Index 


Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  174,  236, 

292-310. 
Pottle,  William,  Jr.,  299. 
Pownall,  Governor,  86. 
Prentice,  Rev.  John,  218. 
Prescott,  Gen.,  132,  133,  137, 

138. 
Preston,   Captain,  82. 
Price,  Henry,  88. 
Price,  Ezekial,  214. 
Prince,   James,   264. 
Prudence  Island,  135. 
Pullin,     Richard,     tavern- 

keeper,  96. 
Punch  Bowl  Tavern,  Brook- 
line,  Mass.,  231. 
Purcell,    Landlord,   306. 
Putnam  Cottage,  114. 
Putnam,    Deacon    Gideon, 

tavern-keeper,  343. 
Putnam,     Gen.     Israel,     114, 

236. 
Putnam,  Gen.  Rufus,  90. 
Putnam,  Oliver,  251. 
Putnam's     Hill,     Greenwich, 

Conn.,  353. 
Pynchon,  Capt  John,  219. 

Quincy,  Josiah,  47,  352,  362. 

Red  Horse  Tavern,  Sudbury, 

191. 
Revere,  Paul,  96,  100,  107. 
Rice,  Reuben,  iii. 
Rice,  Henry,  188. 
Richardson,     Captain     Jeph- 

thah,   tavern-keeper,   327. 
Richardson's  Tavern,  Groton, 

Mass.,  324. 
Riedesel,  Gen.,  334. 
Ringe,  Daniel,  tavern-keeper, 

7^77. 
Robbins's,  323. 
Roberts,    Robert,    tavern- 

keeper,  274. 
Robinson,   Commissioner,  92, 

96. 


Rochefoucault,  Duke  de  la, 
160. 

Rockwood,  Harvey,  53. 

Rogers,   Homer,    195. 

"Romance  of  Old  New  Eng- 
land Churches,"  20,  62,  339. 

"Romance  of  Old  New  Eng- 
land Roof-Trees,"  197,  297. 

Rose,  Daniel,  368. 

Ross  Tavern,  Ipswich,  291. 

Royal  Exchange,  79,  81,  83. 

Rutan's   Hotel,  72. 

Scott,  Madame,  359. 

St.    George    Tavern,   Boston, 

lOI. 

Sabin  Tavern,   122,  124,  126. 

Salem,  167. 

Saltonstall,  Rev.  Gurdon,  30. 

Saltonstall,  Nathaniel,  15. 

Sawtell's  Tavern,  Shirley, 
Mass.,  113. 

Sawtell,  Obadiah,  taveni- 
keeper,  113. 

Scot's  Tavern,  60,    158. 

Sessions,  Darius,  123. 

Salter,  Aeneas,   18. 

Sargent,  Ignatius,  366. 

Sawyer's,  266. 

Sewall,  Samuel,  17,  19,  20. 

Sewall's  Diary,  17,  208. 

Shays,  Captain  Daniel,  43,  45. 

Shays  Rebellion,  The,  42,  45. 

Sheaffe,  Susanna,  81. 

Shepard  Inn,  Bath,  Me.,  369. 

Sherman,   Roger,   151,   154. 

Ship  Tavern,  Boston,  77,  78. 

Shirley,   Governor,    loi. 

Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  36,  50, 
,56,  61. 

Simond's  Hotel,  Charles- 
town,  321. 

Smith,  Aaron,  42,  52. 

Smith,   Sarah,  64. 

Somerby,   Henry,  243. 

Southworth,  Constant, 
tavern-keeper,   11. 

Spencer,  159. 


379 


Index 


spencer,  General,   139. 
Spoff ord,    Mrs.     Harriett 

Prescott,  267. 
Springfield,  60. 
Stacey,    John,    tavern-keeper, 

290. 
Stanton,     Col.     Joseph,     132, 

134. 
Stanwood,  Joseph,  254. 
Stark,  Gen.  John,  89,  366. 
Stavers,     Bartholomew,     292, 

295. 
Stavers,  John,  tavern-keeper, 

292,  29s,  297. 
Stetson,     Prince,     tavern- 

keeper,  259,  265. 
Stevens,     James,     tavern- 

keeper,  223. 
Stewart,  Landlord,  281. 
Stiles,  Rev.  Ezra,  70. 
Stockbridge,  233. 
Stocker,     Captain     Ebenezer, 

263. 
Stone's  City  Tavern,  Boston, 

319. 

Stratford  Ferry,  49. 

Sudbury,   56,   61. 

Sunderland,   59. 

Sun  Hotel,  Newburyport, 
264. 

Surriage,  Agnes,  225,  335. 

Swasey  House,  Ipswich,  291. 

Swasey,  Major  Joseph,  170. 

Swasey,  Susanna,  tavern- 
keeper,    170. 

Sykes,  Colonel  Reuben,  46, 
51. 

Symonds,  Francis,  tavern- 
keeper,  235. 

Taft's  Inn,  183. 
Talleyrand,  Baron  de,  256. 
Talleyrand,  102. 
Tilton,   Jacob,   tavern-keeper, 

305. 
Titcomb,  Jonathan,  271. 
Tracy,  John,  257. 
Tracy,  Nathaniel,  172,  264. 


Tripp,  John,  220. 
Trowbridge,  Caleb,  Jr.,  326. 
Tucker,  William  E.,  170. 
Turner,  Robert,  74. 
Twining,  Thomas,  311. 

Upshall,  Nicholas,  79. 
United  States  Arm^s,  51. 
Upton  Tavern,  45. 

Vane,   Governor,  75. 

Vardy,    Luke,    tavern-keeper, 

79,  81. 
Vaudereuil,  M.  de,  256. 
Vila,  James,  85. 
Vyall,  John,  i,  "j^. 

Wade,  Jonathan,  277. 

Wadsworth  Inn,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  315. 

Wales,  Henry  Ware,  204. 

Walker,  Thomas,  340. 

Walker's  Tavern,  Charles- 
town,  N.  H.,  2^. 

Wallace,    tavern-keeper,    18. 

Walpole,  313. 

Wanton,  Governor,  123. 

Ward,  General  Artemas,  39, 
44. 

Ward's  "Old  Times  in 
Shrewsbury,"    50. 

Wardwell,  Jonathan,  294. 

Wardwell.  Lydia,  287,  290. 

Warren,  James,  271. 

Warwick  Neck,  R.  I.,  135, 
138. 

Washington,  George,  37,  51, 
100,  loi,  148-190,  201,  260, 
302. 

Washington  Hotel,  New- 
buryport, 265. 

Watertown.   56,  61. 

Watson,  Capt.  William, 
tavern-keeper,    331. 

Waumanitt,  5,  6. 

Wayside  Inn,  Sudbury, 
Mass.,  it6. 

Webster,  Daniel,  96,  267,  366. 


380 


Index 


Wells,  Me.,  Tavern  at,  ii. 
Wentworth  Arms,   Newbury- 

port,  262. 
Wentworth,     Gov.     Benning, 

297. 
Wentworth,      Col.      Michael, 

175- 

West  Brookfield  Tavern,  117, 
158. 

Westcarr,  Dr.  John,  219. 

Westfield,  Mass.,  334. 

Weston,   56. 

Whipple,  Capt.  Abraham, 
126,  127. 

Whipple,  John,  tavern-keeper, 
12. 

Whipple,  John,  '2r]'j. 

White,  Capt.  John,  tavern- 
keeper,  346. 

White,    John,    179. 

Whitman,  Elizabeth,  234,  339. 

Whitman,     Rev.     Elnathan, 

339- 

Whitman,   Valentine,  6. 

Whittier,  John  Greenleaf, 
288. 

Wigglesworth,    Edward,    257. 

Wiggin  Tavern,   235,   366. 

Wilder,  Nathaniel,  tavern- 
keeper.  215.  345. 

Wilder,  Dr.  Josiah,  347. 

Wild's,  316. 

Wilde's,  319. 


Willard,  Major  Simon,  109. 

Willey,   Zebulon,    175. 

Williams,  Abraham,  tavern- 
keeper,   160. 

Williams,  Eleazer,  tavern- 
keeper,  157. 

Williams,  Job,  85. 

Williams,  Rev.  John,  64. 

W^illiams,  Roger,  4,  6. 

Williams  Tavern,  Marlboro, 
Mass.,  116,  160. 

Winn,  Lieut.  Joseph,  tavern- 
keeper,  209,  229. 

Winship,  Jason,  112. 

Winthrop,  Gov.,  7,  9,  75. 

Wolfe,   General,   236,   252. 

Wolfe  Tavern,  Newburyport, 
236,  251,  253,  255,  265. 

Woodbridge,  Benjamin,  80. 

Woodward,  Richard,  tavern- 
keeper,  212. 

Worcester,  56,  61. 

Worcester  Society  of  An- 
tiquity, 237. 

Wright,  Amos,  tavern- 
keeper,  iii. 

Wright  Tavern,  The,  Con- 
cord,  Mass.,   no. 

Wyman,  Jabez,  112. 

Yeaton,  Hopley,  298. 
York,  Maine,  236. 


381 


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